Bloody Mary Rachel's Intro
by Deansgirl95
Summary: Sam & Dean find a tortured female hunter named Rachel when they face Bloody Mary, Dean's not happy she's there, but he can't deny his attraction to her.
1. Chapter 1

Sam and Dean walk into the morgue in Toledo, Ohio to investigate the mysterious death of a man who supposedly had a stroke while looking into a mirror. they have an idea that it's not as simple as that. They need to see the body to have a clue what they're working with. When they tell morgue tech that they're med students working on a paper and that some made up doctor told them it was ok, the tech looks at them like they're crazy.  
"you guys with that girl?" he asks.   
"girl?" Sam asks  
"Yeah there was a girl here this morning as I was comming in. My buddy talked to her and gave her what she needed, so I didn't get a chance to talk to her." The tech smiled then. "I would have like to, she was a looker. But my co-worker said that she was doing a med student as well. She with you?"  
Sam and Dean looked at eachother. Confused.  
"Nope. She must be doing another paper." Dean says.  
"well, I'm sorry, But I find this very funny. Two sets of med students for the same guy who died of a plain old stroke?" The tech said.  
"Plain old stroke?" Dean looks at him and feigns hurt.  
"You know, you should be more sensitive. My dad died of a plain old stoke. Screwed me up for years"  
"Hey, dude. I'm sorry." The tech said with his hands up.  
Sam puts his hand on Deans shoulder as if comforting him.  
"It's ok, man. He didn't know." Sam says  
"Ok. Ok. Come one I'll show you the guy."  
As they looked at the victum laying on the cold slab   
"Now the newspaper said his daughter found him. She said his eyes were bleeding." Sam said  
"More than that. They practically liquefied." The tech said as he pulled the sheet back over the corpses head  
"Any sign of a struggle? Maybe somebody did it to him?" Dean offered  
"Nope. Besides the daughter, he was all alone."  
"Could it be anything else besides a stroke?" Dean asked.  
"Doc's not sure. Maybe an aneurysm? Something burst up in there, that's for sure."   
"What do you mean?" Sam asked  
"Cerebral bleeding. This guy had more blood in his skull than anyone I've ever seen." The tech said with a sigh  
"The eyes—what would cause something like that?" Sam asked  
"Capillaries can burst. See a lot of bloodshot eyes with stroke victims."   
"Yeah? You ever see exploding eyeballs?" Dean said.   
"That's a first for me, but hey, I'm not the doctor." The tech looked sorrowfully at Dean "Did your dad's eyes explode? Wow dude, that horrible."  
Sam and Dean exchanged a look.  
"It's still hard for me, I'd rather not talk about it." Dean said faking a crack in his voice.  
"Think we could take a look at that police report? You know for, uh…our paper." Sam asked.  
"I'm not supposed to show you that. Besides, my buddy got charmed into giving a copy to that girl this morning and if I give one to you it could look bad. Besides, you guys aren't as cute as she was."

After leaving the morgue, The boys walk out to the parking lot toward the Impala.  
"So what are we thinking?" Sam asked.  
"I'm thinking that guy didn't just fall to the floor from a stroke. What about you, Sammy?"  
"I think your right."  
"You know, if you could only admit that more often I think we'll do ok."   
"Don't be a smart ass Dean." Sam warned.  
"Hey better that being a dumb ass." Dean shot back.  
"I wish we could have goten that police report."  
"Yeah, what's that whole thing about this chick, anyway." Dean said as the got to the car.  
"You think she has something to do with this?" Sam Asked looking at his brother over the roof.  
"Her story sounded too much like ours. Who ever she was I'm sure she was no med student."  
"Do we try to find her?"  
"Let's start with the family. see what they have to say about poor mister Shoemacker."

After finding the daughters at the funeral home, the boys approched them.  
"You Must be Donna, Right?" Dean asked.  
"Yeah." The girl said  
"Hi uh—we're really sorry." Sam said  
"Thank you."  
"I'm Sam, this is Dean. We worked with your dad."  
"You did?"   
"Yeah. This whole thing. I mean, a stroke." Dean said   
"I don't think she really wants to talk about this right now" the older girl said  
"It's okay. I'm okay."   
"Were there any symptoms? Dizziness? Migraines?" Sam asked  
"No."  
"That's because it wasn't a stroke." The younger daughter said.  
Just what they we're thinking.  
"Lily, enough of this." Donna said to her little sister.  
After speaking to her for a moment they hear the recount of everything they thought might be possible. the girl told them she had been playing Bloody Mary in the mirror with her friends when her dad came in and she insisted that she killed her father by calling Bloody Mary. That the spirit killed him instead of her and that it was all her fault.  
"Enough Lily. It's one thing to tell that counselor, but these guys worked with dad." Donna said.  
"You told a counselor this?" Sam asked.  
"yeah. A pretty young counselor from her school came to talk to her today. She must be new, I'd never seen her at the school befor. Lily told her all this and I thought that once she said it she stop blaming herself, but aperantly not."  
"There was a girl here asking questions about your dads death?" Sam asked befor he could stop himself.  
"yeah. Trying to help Lily cope. Why do you sound surprised?"  
Dean laughed and came to his brothers rescue.  
"He has a problem with counselors. One gave him some bad advice once. Screwed him all up."

After leaving the girls with all the information they could get they decided to go to the house where the attack had happened. the family were going to be at the funeral home all day, they hoped, so the would just let themselves in and have a look.  
In the car driving there Sam posed the nagging quesion.  
"That girl again. Think it's the same one from the morgue?"  
"It had better not be becuase she's starting to piss me off." Dean replied. "She's been everywhere we've been already. one step ahead of us. We couldn't get the police report because of her and now we couldn't talk to the family the way we'd like too with out looking suspicious. Who the hell does she think she is?"  
"Well, let's just hope it's a coincedance amd we don't hear of her again." Sam said.   
"I don't like people poking around in my case and it seems that's what this chick is doing. So your right, let's hope we don't hear from her again."

they let themselve in to the house via Sams hunting knife and the kitchen window. They walk through the house toward the upstairs bathroom.  
"So. The girls are playing Bloody Mary in the bathroom, they say it three times in the mirror, dad comes in, get's it instead. Are we agreed.?" Dean asked.  
"That sounds about right." Sam agrees.  
"That must be bathrrom right there." Dean say as he points to a door in the hall with blood on the frame.  
They walk toward it, turn into the small room and stop short.  
Crouching on the floor looking at the dried blood on the tiles is a girl in her early 20's. She looks up startled and the first thing Dean thinks is how green her eyes are.  
"Hey." Sam said.  
"Hey." She said, looking nervously up at them. As if cought and trying to think of a way out of it.  
"Who're you?" She asked.  
"We could ask you the same question." Dean said.  
She stood up slowly. She was tall and slender. Pale skin with black hair that fell to her waist.  
"My name's Rachel. Your turn."  
"How'd you get in here?" Sam asked.  
"You first." She said simply.  
"Um..." They said together.  
"We worked with Mr. Shoemacker." Sam said.  
"Bull. he was a day trader, he worked by himself." She said.  
"You wouldn't happen to be Lily's counselor are you?" Dean asked.  
The girl just looked at him. Silent. Guilty even.  
"And you don't happen to be a med student as well? are you?"  
"Ok. Who are you guys?" She asked. "P.I's or something?"  
"Why are you snooping around. Who are you?" Sam asked.  
She looked at them each for a second befor she answered.  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Was all she said.  
"Actually. I think we'd believe you just fine." Dean Replied. "Because we're here for the same reason."  
"What are you talking about?" She asked.  
"Dean?" Sam said.  
With out taking his eyes from her he asked the question he'd been thinking since he heard she'd been poking around.  
"You a hunter, too. aren't you?"  
Everyone was silent as Deans question sunk in. He once agin never took his eyes from her. It was as if his inquiry was more of a challenge for her to tell the truth than anything else.   
Not that he could take his eyes off of her anyway. She was probably the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.  
"You guys are hunters?" She asked.  
Their silence was their answer. When she realized that a smile spread slowly across her mouth. Dean couldn't help but think how kissable that action make her lips look. And how pissed off he was that she was bugging around his case.   
"Well." She said. "It seems our girl Bloody Mary has brought more attention to herself than little old me."


	2. Chapter 2

Rachel sat in the dim bar at a table with the Winchester brothers, sipping a mug of dark ale. the beer felt good sliding down her throat. she felt the tension slip away with each mouthful and was almost able to ignor the dirty looks the older one was giving her.  
"so, you two have been looking for you dad?" She asked.  
"Wait a minuet, sweetie. Let's start with you ok?" Dean Winchester said in the same tone he'd been using with her since they'd met in the Shoemacher bathroom. Annoyed.  
She was begining to tire of his attitude.   
"I've got a better idea." She said folding her arms across her chest and scowling at him. "How about we start with don't call me 'sweetie' again, ok? My name is Rahcel."  
The younger one, Sam, spoke befor his brother could open his mouth to retort, which she was sure he was going to.  
"Yeah, Rachel. We've been looking for our dad for months now. We really haven't had any luck though."  
She took her eyes away from the dead stare she'd been locked into with Dean to look at Sam.  
"I'm sorry. My dad was a hunter to. He died on a job when I was 12." She admittied to more likeable Winchester.  
"I'm sorry to hear that." Sam said.  
"Yeah. My sister and I started hunting since we we're old enough to disobey our mother and not get dragged home by the police. She's kind of against it."  
"So where's your sister now?" Sam asked.  
Rachel tensed. She should have known better than to mention Kelly. Of course he'd ask where her partner was. She looked down and decided that she would give as little information as possible with out being dishonest.   
"Kelly's not hunting any more. She was killed on a job six months ago."  
Rachel was actually releived that dean butted insensitivly in at that moment before Sam could ask anymore.  
"Ok. Enough with the small talk." He errupted, leaning forward on the table. She looked at him to see that his handsom features where still hard and angry.  
Did you just think that he was handsome? She thought. He's a jerk, Don't grace him with a compliment.  
"what are you doing on our case?" He demanded.  
"Dean!" Sam said  
"No Sam, It's ok." She said without taking her from Dean's face. With an attitude to match his, she answered his question.  
"I was passing though Toledo when I heard about Shoemacher. It raised some red flags so I looked into it. As I was looking into it, you found me in his bathroom where he dropped dead. Now let me ask a question of my own. What the Hell is up your ass and how did it die?"

Dean Listened to her as she talked. And he heard what she said but he kept having to push into the back of his mind how beautiful she was. He was far too aware for his own liking of her long black hair falling over her shoulder, her almond shapped eyes which were green and clear. But he pushed it all away once agin to answer her question.  
"I wasn't aware that I had anything up my ass."  
"Oh yeah. it's up there alright." She chuckled sarcastically. "And if your not careful it'll be acompanied by my foot."  
"Look babe, your on my case and I'm not happy about it." He said ignoring her threat.  
"Your case!?" She frowned angrily and leaned on the table the same way he did so that their faces were closer. "It would seem that I was one step ahead of you the whole time and if you ask me that would make this MY case that your on."  
"Good thing I'm not asking you." He stated.  
That got her good. He watched as she gritted her teeth in anger. As he watched her he realized that he liked it when she was angry. It made her look sexy.

Rachel was so livid with that last line of his she was ready to punch him in his smug face. And she hated the fact that her next thought after that was she couldn't becuase she might mess up that beautiful face.   
"Ok look Smart ass." She burst out. "You've been nothing but a miserable bastard to me since the second we met and I'm tired of your bullshit. I was here first. This is MY case. So why don't you get into your pretty black Impala and go find yourself a cursed object in the next town or something."  
"I'm not going anywhere, Sweetheart." He stated without missing a beat, his deep voice steady.  
"Look. you call me anything but Rachel one more time and I swear to God-"  
"HEY GUYS!" Sam burst out befor she could finish her threat.  
They both leaned back in their chairs away from eachother.  
She chided herself as she noticed that the up-turned collar of his worn leather jacket framed his clenched jaw and made the angry grimace look sensual.   
"There's enough Bloody Mary for all of us." Sam said.   
"People are dying and since we're all here, why can't we just figure it out together?"  
"Why don't you ask the ego maniac that, Sam?" She suggested. Not taking her eyes from the elder Wichester.  
"My name is Dean." He said crossing his own arms. "Not 'Ego Maniac'"  
"You sure don't act like it." She shot back. "I bet if you could piss on this case to mark it as your territory you would."  
Dean opend his mouth but once again Sam cut him off.  
"Ok. Once again. People dying." Sam looked at them in turn as once again they where locked intheir death stare. Rachel found herself wondering what color Dean's eyes where as she stared hatefully into them. here in the dim barroom light she could tell that they where dark but couldn't quite make out the exact shade.  
STOP IT RACHEL! She screamed at herself. She was not going to let herself be attracted to this self absorbed jerk.  
"They could use our help." Sam continued. Then he looked pointedly at his brother and said with emphasis, "ALL of our help."  
Dean took her eyes from her to look at Sam. His expression softened a bit, as if he thought Sam was making sense.  
"Rachel?" Sam said looking back at her. "What do you say? Do we combine our efforts?"  
She shouldn't do this. She didn't like the way her thoughts ran in the 2 hours since she met the nasty bastard that was Dean Winchester. But nasty bastard or not she had to admit that he was easy to look at and was slightly sexy with his 'holier than thou attitude'  
Did she really want to be partners with him?  
She didn't like the pangs she got. They felt good.  
And besides the fact that he didn't deserve for her to feel that way about him because he was so horrible to her, her baby sister Kelly didn't deserve anything but Rachel's misery. And Rachel was determined to give Kelly no less than that. Not since Rachel was the reason Kelly was dead.  
But the alternitive was leaving and giving dean Winchester the satisfaction of her walking away from what would then truely be HIS case.  
And besides that, Sam was right. Shoemacher had been killed by an evil spirit. Who knew who'd be next. Once an agry spirit got started, it usually didn't stop at one. Bloody Mary had to be stopped.  
Rachel wasn't all that surprised when she found that pissing Dean off and staying took presidance over destroying the spirit and saving the town.  
She would move on after this and there would be another town and more people to save. How often did she get to stick it to a snobby, know it all like Dean?  
She was a big girl, she could handle the slight attraction she felt. If he continued to be such an ass it would be easy.  
He decision made she looked back at him.   
"So what do you say Hot Shot?" She asked him icily with one of her eyebrows lifted. "Think you can stand killing the bloody bitch with me as one of your partners?"

Dean took her words as a challenge. He was aware that he was being an ass. He'd never admit it to this beautiful stangers, but he knew it. He wasn't sure why. There was something about the point of her chin when she was talking down to him and defending herself. Something about the straight set of her spine as she stood her ground that made her perfect breast poke out and strain against her shirt that was erotic.   
But beside's that he got a whiff of brat wanting to follow in Daddy's boot's and that irritated him.  
Plus he didn't like it when people got in his way. but if she was going to stick around no matter what he's be ready for her.  
"You calling me Hot Shot?" He asked.  
"Yeah." She said. "Answer my question."  
"Ok." He said and smiled sarcastically. "Let's do it...Darling."


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Rachel drove her white '67 ford mustang to the Sam and Dean's motel room. Getting out she saw the boys open the door and step out.

They where meeting up to hit the local library and do some research on the town to find any violent deaths that could explain the spirit.

"Wow." Sam said eyeing the car.

rachel found herself looking to see Dean's reaction. He was into classic car's she guessed, that Impala of his was one of the finest machines she'd ever laid eyes on. But she told herself she wanted his jeliousy, not his appoval. He made a face to hide how impressed he was.

"It was my dad's" She told Sam. "My mom gave it to me when I turned 17."

"That's funny, the Impala was our dad's, too." Sam said and turned to his brother. "Whadd'ya think dean? Nice huh?"

Looking unimpressed, he shrugged. "Sure, if you into that sort of thing."

She rolled her eyes and blew out her breath.

"Are you gonna be as nasty today as you where yesterday? I really thought you'd have pulled your boxers out of your ass by now." She said.

He looked dead at her and under his squint from the sun she took notice of what she'd wondered in the bar the night befor, which was that his eyes where hazel. Hazel Green to be exact.

"So your wondering if I wear boxers or briefs huh?" He said with a sarcastic smile. "I had no idea I'd made that much of an impression on you."

Her heart skipped in her chest with momentary panic. Maby he'd picked up on her rebel thoughts concerning him. Outwardly she didn't miss a beat.

"Don't flatter yourself." She said with another eye roll." I was going to say 'Panties' but I didn't want to imbarress you in front of your brother."

"OK." Sam said loudly. "We could stand here and do this all day, or we could get started on trying to figure this case out."

"Let's go," Rachel said. "The library's only 2 blocks away. we can walk."

As they walked through the library toward the room that housed the computers they spoke in hushed tones so they wouldn't be overheard.

"Ok, so what do we know about Bloody Mary." Dean asked.

"We know that that's probably not who we're dealing with." Rachel answered.

Dean was about to retort when Sam spoke. "Yeah, I agree." He said.

DAMN IT, SAMMY. Dean thought. He was trying to be disagreeable, did Sam have to ruin it by agreeing with her?

"Why? Why couldn't it be Bloody Mary?" He asked calmly.

"Well, with legends like this it's hard, so many versions of the same story..." Sam left off.

"Yeah, some say she was a witch, other's that she was a mutilated bride." Rachel finished. "but the storie's always have a few things in common."

"Yeah." Sam took up again as they reached the computer room. "It's always a girl named Mary and she alway's dies in front of a mirror."

DO THEY HAVE TO BE SO MUCH ON THE SAME PAGE? Dean thought.

"That sounds like enough to make this real to me." Dean said.

"Except for one thing." Rachel answered "Kids all over America play 'Bloody Mary' in mirrors and nothing ever happens."

"But it's happening here." He said harshly at her. "Which means that here, there's truth to the tale."

Sam looked at Dean. "You mean this might be the place that the legend got started?"

"Why not?" Dean answered. "We just have to figure out who she really is."

Rachel was impressed. He might just be right. After all, he was John Wichesters son. She'd heard whispers of John's name on the road, just a few words of respect here and there, he wasn't infamous, but he was known in a world where you didn't talk about identities. That had to mean something. And here she was on a hunt with his sons'.

"Death's in front a mirror." Sam said to himself.

"Death's of a girl named Mary in front of a mirror." Rachel corrected.

"For the last...what? 200 years?" Sam asked as they walked into the computer room.

"Sound's do-able." Rachel said as the came to a stop in the room.

"Sounds annoying." Dean said.

"No," Sam relpied. "It shouldbn't be too hard as long as we have..." Sam trailed off as he saw the signs on the newspapers reels. Every one of them was printed with big bold letters that said "OUT OF ORDER"

"I take it back." Sam said much quieter. "This is going to be very annoying."

The walked back into Sam and dean's hotel room an hour later with all the almanacs of the town the library had to offer, which was considerable.

Dean and Rachel dropped their loads on the small table while Sam dumped his on one of the beds.

Putting his hands on his hips, Dean let out a frustrated breath of the sight in front of him.

"Man, we're going to be doing this all day." He said.

"You know, maby it would help if we narrowed down what we where looking for a little." Sam said.

Dean picked up a book and started to leaf through it as he listened to his brother. "Did dad say anything about Bloody Mary in his journal?"

"Not that I know of." Dean answered with out looking up.

"You dad left a journal?" He heard Rachel ask, her voice excited.

"Yeah." Sam answered. "It's kinda been our manual lately."

"I'd love to see it." She said.

"Sure."

"We'll think about it."

Sam and Dean said at the exact same time, Dean making the nastier of the comments.

Sam's voice had been light and approving as Dean's had been dismissing and cold. He looked up from his book to see them both staring at him.

"Let's get to work." He said as he sat down at the table and began studying the book more closly.

A cell phone rang befor anyone could say anything else. Rachel reached into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled it out. Dean couldn't help but notice the ass that was in those jeans as she did.

"Maby that's Charlie." Rachel said.

BOYFRIEND CHARLIE? Dean thought befor he could stop himself. He kept flipping pages.

Rachel looked down at the phone and lost all her color to what she saw there. She let it ring again, staring at the number dumbfounded. It rang again. she made no attempt to answer it, she just stared.

"Rachel?" Sam asked.

She looked up as if startled to hear his voice, her mesmirazation at the phone number broken. After giving him a blank look, she shook her head.

"Nope, not Charlie." She said. The phone rang again.

"Charlie?" Sam asked with a frown. "You mean donna Shoemachers friend? The pretty blond we met at the funeral?"

The phone rang again in her hand. She glanced at it before looking back to Sam.

"Yeah. She kinda cought onto me at the funeral home. So with out telling her too much i gave her my number just in case she noticed anything funny." Rachel explained.

The phone rang again. Then again. She just looked at it and mode no motion to pick it up.

"Aren't you gonna answer that?" Dean asked in a loud, very annoyed voice. She looked too shaken to answer him back. So she didn't.  
After one last ring, the phone went silent at last. She smiled weakly and put the phone back into her pocket.

"Guess not." Was all she said.

"Maby you should call back." Sam suggested. "Who ever it was let it ring for a long time. It might be important."

Once again she looked stricken, but tried to act as if it was no big deal.

"It wasn't important." She said and sat at the table across from Dean, picking up a book of the towns history. "It was just my mother."

Rachel noticed the look that passed between the brothers. She was trying very hard to cover how shaken the call from home had been, from the looks on their faces she was doing a bad job.

"Not to pry, but are you ok Rachel?" Sam asked, a genuin look of concern on his face.

OK RACH, DEEP BREATH. She thought. Her mother called her every once and a while in the last 6 months. Hopeing to get her to talk or to come home Rachel was sure. She'd actually listen to a few of the voice mails that was left.

"Yeah, I'm fine Sam. She and i haven't spoken in a while so it kind of freaks me out when she calls." She explained. It was as close to the truth as she was willing to go.

"I suppose mom's can do that." Sam said with a small smile.

"Yeah, I write home every now and then to let her know I'm ok. Besides that we have nothing to say to eachother." Only half of that was actually the truth. She did write home so that her mother would know some demon hadn't killed HER, too. but did they have nothing to say to eachother? They had so much to say that Rachel avoided going home these last months because she couldn't face what was needed to be done. She couldn't face her mother yet. Not after what happened to Kelly.

Rachel was releived when Sam didn't press her further. She went on leafing through the books as Dean was. Sam settled on the bed with his own pile.

For an hour they searched for girls maned Mary that had died in the town with no luck. Sam fell asleep on the bed in the proccess, so she and Dean where left alone to search in silence at the table.

"Find anything yet?" Dean asked impatiently after another 45 minuets.

"If I did would have said something." She answered without looking up.

He blew out a breath that came out as a raspberry and tilted his head all the way back to stretch. She glanced up as he was in the middle of the action to see his neck arched back and the soft flesh of his throat exposed delisiously. Just as she was about to reprimand her for her thoughts she cought sight of the charm he wore. It hung around his neck from a black leather rope and could be seen clearly as it lay against his black shirt.

Rachel was mesmerized by the tiny golden head with horns. It's eyes appeared to be closed and it had a swirl inbetween it's eyes.

He noticed her looking at it and glanced down at it.

"It been a long time since I've seen something like that." She said.

On the bed, Sam moaned.

"You've never seen anything like this." He said. "Especially if you've only been hunting a few years. It's very rare."

She narrowed her eyes at him. So he thought she was that much of an amateur? Too green to know what his protective amulet was?

Once again, Sam moaned, A little louder this time.

"It's a protective charm. It's the Egyptian-.." He started, she finished.

"The Egyptian Goddess Hathor." He was stunned silent. She continued her explaination as he looked at her dumbly. "The cow God of protection against evil and chaos, know for her favor toward women but will protect a male who's considered a warrior."

He just stared right at her as Sam moaned louder this time. They both looked over to him this time. it seemed he was having a nightmare.

When they looked back at eachother, she smiled a little. "I had one just like it."

"What happened to it?" He asked. She noticed that the sum from the window illuminated only half of his face, leaving the rest in shadows. It made his lips look even more pouty.

"I lost it." She said, not wanting to explain anymore. Especially not that she sent it home with her dead sister to be buried with it.

"So you where carless with a rare charm of a God that offers very strong protection to a female warrior? Figures." He said as he looked back down at the book.

If she was ever going to smack his face that would have been at that moment. If he only knew how hurtful his words where right then, would he have said them anyway? If he knew that that was the exact reason she no longer had it? The goddess would offer fierce protection for a female or for a male warrior. A female warrior was protected even stronger. After Kelly's death she'd wanted her sisters body and spirit to have Hathors grace more than she wanted it for herself. So she'd sent it home with Kelly. This bastard didn't know what, so she decided not to rip his pretty hazel green eyes out of his stupid head.

Sam jumped and cried out. Waking himself in the process.

"You ok Sammy?" Dean asked.

"Why'd you let me fall asleep?" Sam asked quietly

"Cause I'm an awesome brother. So what did you dream about?"

"Lollipops and candy canes."

"Scary ass lolly pops and candy canes Then." Rachel remarked.

"Yeah, sure." Dean said to Sam, calling him a lyer.

"Did you find anything?" Sam asked, still laying on his back and looking at the celling. Rachel knew that he was still trying to shake the dream. She'd done the same thing many times herself.

"Oh besides a whole new level of frustration?" Dean said. Sam sat up slowly. Dean continued, "No. I've looked at everything. A few local women, a Laura and a Catherine committed suicide in front of a mirror, and a giant mirror fell on a guy named Dave, but uh, no Mary."

"Maybe we just haven't found it yet." Sam said.

"I don't know Sam." Rachel said. "I've been searching for strange deaths in the area, you know…eyeball bleeding, that sort of thing. There's nothing. Whatever's happening here, maybe it just ain't Mary."

"It's Mary. don't worry about that." Dean said harshly.

She was about to open her mouth and tell him he needed to shut the hell up when he rose from his seat and picked uo his car keys.

"I'm gonna go get a some burgers. Who wants what?" He announced.

He took their orders, even Rachels with out being a snot about it and left. She was alone with Sam.

"So Sam. Nighmares huh? I have them too. They suck huh?" She asked.

He looked at her with his big eyes and told her that the nightmares where of his girlfriend that died the same way his mother had when he was an infant.that opened the dialog and for a while they talked about his dad and how they got into this life on the wake of his mothers murder. She spoke of her life as well and as she did, she looked at Sam and found herself almost wishing that she was attracted to him and not Dean. Handsom in his own right, Sam had beautiful eyes, longish sandy hair and a crooked smile that could melt your heart. He was boyishly good looking where Dean was more rugged and macholy good looking with his sharp features and bedroom eyes. But where Dean was Mean, Sam was kind and gental. Where Dean was arcastic and dry, Sam was sensitive. If she's had a choice she'd definatly want Sam. Too bad she couldn't control herself.

He asked her what her nightmares where about and for a moment she'd almost said she didn't want to talk about it, but the fact that he'd shared with her so willingly gave her pause and allowed her to open up to him a bit. She told him what she could and left out the details. that her sister had been killed by a demon 6 months ago and the scene still plagued her at night. Sam listened to her attentivly, his eyes understanding her pain that she tried to hide.

Dean came back with food befor they could finish their conversation, but she truly felt like the time they'd had, they'd bonded in a lot of ways. Dean was his usual self. Comenting on things and being a jerk. By the time it was time to call it quits for the day she was mentally exhausted by him. On the way back to the room she'd procured for herself in this same motel, she wondered if there was any way she could get away with tying dean up and putting him in his own trunk until she and sam could figure this case out together.


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel was drowning. trying to keep her head above the water but it was so hard as she struggled with the thing in the water. She managed to break the surface and along with a mouthful of water she got maby half a breath of air befor she was dragged under again by a pair of strong, nuseen hands.  
She was going to die.  
She was going to suffocate if someone didn't help her.  
The pertrifying thought gave a boost of adrenaline and she fought harder, as a result she was able to break the surface once again and breath just long enough to look out over the shiny surface of the water and see herself in the distance, swimming hard toward herself to be her own rescuer. But the swimming Rachel was too far away to reach the drowning Rachel. She was treading the water as fast as she could, but she was too far away. She would be too late.  
That was Rachel's final thought as she was pulled under once again.  
Terror filled her as she struggled.  
fear in it's purest form that these where her last seconds errupted in every part of her being.  
She struggled any way.  
Needing to breath.  
Needing to live.  
A strong hand closed over her shoulder pulled her up.  
She shut her eyes tight with fear but she realized that suddenly she could breath.  
"Rachel!" A voice called.  
She opened her eyes.  
Deam Winchester was standing befor her, his hand on her shoulder.  
Had he pulled her out of the water?  
It was dark now when she looked around, she had been drowning in murky sunlight.  
She looked down at herself, confused. Her clothes and hair were dry.  
Upon further inspection she saw that she was sitting on the hood of Dean's black Impala.  
How had she gotten here?  
She couldn't have been just pulled out of the water.  
"You ok Rachel?" Dean asked.  
She looked up at him. Perplexed. He looked worried. Was he going to start being nice now?  
"Yeah...I'm-" She stammered for her words. "I'm fine." She said as she took a calming breath. "Where are we?" She asked.  
"Does it matter?" He answered. "We're alone."  
She frowned at that odd sentance. "What?"  
"I was about to kiss you." He stated with a grin. "That is, if you won't knock me on my ass for doing it."  
She was shocked. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to answer or not. But even so she found that she couldn't.  
He was going to kiss her?  
As his words sunk in she realized that she wanted him to do it. Wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her.   
She was confused, afraid, alone for so long that even though she knew that he disliked her and he was mean and obnoxious, she craved his kiss very much at that moment.  
As if he'd read her mind, he took a step that closed the distance between them and leaned in close to her.  
He gently pressed his lips to her and she melted.   
Kissing him back willingly, the heat that ran through her made her forget the cold, icy water of her almost-death.  
He kissed her harder.  
She kissed him harder back, sensation swimming through her whole body.  
NO! her head screamed at her suddenly. THINK ABOUT KELLY!  
The wondeful feeling she had kissing dean melted away to feelings of betrayal and anger for her sister.

Rachel work in her bed with a violent jerk. Her heart was pounding and she was covered in sweat.  
She sat up quickly in the dark, breathing hard.  
She was in her motel room. A quick glance at the digital clock said it was 2:47 AM  
OH GOD, She thought. NOT AGAIN.  
It was not the first time she'd woken from the drowning dream. It had plagued her for the last 6 months, at least 3 times a week, sometimes more.  
She turned on the bedside lamp, threw the covers off and swung her legs out of the bed.  
Resting her elbows on her knees, she covered her face in her hands. Taking deep breaths, trying to calm her shaking flesh.  
WEhen she was able to she got up and walked to the bathroom. Turning the klights on she stepped from the carpet onto the cold tiles and turned the water in the sink on. Leaning over she spalshed several handfuls of the cold water onto her face.  
Turning the water off she leaned up, supporting herself with her hands on the rim of the sink and looked at herself in the mirror.  
Water beads dripped from her nose and chin. She didn't recognize herfelf.  
Her skin was pale, her hair was plastered to her head, the bags under her eyes where dark and puffy.  
She was more disurbed by tonights dream than she had been in a while, she thought as she dried her face on a skimpy motel towel.  
She had dreamt for months now that she was her sister in her final moments, drowning in that lake by that evil spirit, seeing herself in the distance, trying to reach herself in time. Knowing that it would be too late.  
Just like she'd been in real life. Too far away to save Kelly.  
The dream was always agoinizing, and she wake and think to herself that it must be the higher powers that allowed her the dream. They knew how guilty she was and were giving her a glimps of the fate she should have saved Kelly from. Punishing her by letting her expiriance the terror her sister had suffered becuase she, Rachel, Hadn't been quick enough.  
I DESERVE IT. Rachel thought as she climbed back into bed. She was somewhat thankful for the dream in letting her see what it was like.  
If Kelly had gone through that horror, it was only fair that she not be spared from it.  
BUT THE DIFFERANCE IS THAT I LIVED She thought.  
As she sat on the mattress with the pillows at her back, she brought her knee's up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. Not ready to sleep yet, she layed her forhead on her knees and closed her eyes.  
Taking deep breaths, she was finally able to pinpoint why she was more shaken tonight than usual. the dream had been different.  
The drowning part was the same as it had always been. But she'd always woken at the last second befor she died, dreanched from head to toe in sweat.  
Tonight she'd been saved.  
Saved by Dean Winchester of all people. And he'd kissed her. Kissed her tenderly as she sat on the hood of his car.  
And she'd let him. Why?  
There was no doubt in her mind that she was slightly attracted to him, as much as she disliked him personally. And she had to admit that she found his dry humor and 'screw you' attitude some-what sexy. She found herself thinking back to the dream and could swear she could almost still feel his lips on hers.  
She cursed herself for liking the feeling.   
She made a resolve just then that she would finish with Bloody Mary as soon as possible and get the hell away from Dean Winchester.   
She was a hrrible sister for feeling this way for a man that had no use for her all the time mouring her sister.  
She needed to focus on missing Kelly and trying to build the courage to face their mother after letting her youngest child die at the hands of a demon. Not wanting Dean.  
"Your too hard on yourself, you know that?" A clear voice interrupted her thoughts.  
She looked up to see Kelly sitting on the edge of the bed oppiste her.  
Rachel blinked. Not surprised.  
This wasn't the first time her mind had conjoured Kelly's image. And she knew it to be just that. Not her sister's ghost. She'd seen too many spirits and entities not to know the differance.  
No. This was her guilty mind projecting her sister when she needed her the most.  
Usually after a really bad dream or sometimes on the road, as Rachel drove over the lonely blacktop, her mind so numb with thought of her sister and the fact that the seat that she usually occupied was now empty, Kelly would appear there. Just to talk for a moment to ease the pain.  
Kelly appeared as she had in life; small, porceline skinned, blond locks falling over her shoulders, clear green eyes just like Rachel's. Her lips curled into a little smile that touched her eyes and made them appear to laugh.  
When she lived, no one would have guessed her to be anything else but a beautiful girl of 20, who was maby part of a serority, maby a little ditsy and always had boys dropping at her feet. No one would have guessed what she truly was; a fierce hunter of the dead who could nail you between the eyes with a sniper rifle at 1,000 yards, who was head strong and just wanted to follow in their father's footsteps. Rachel smiled back at her.  
"Hey Kelly girl." She said.  
"It was just a dream. It's over now." Kelly said in her slightly high pitched voice.  
Rachel nodded. "I know. It's over for now."  
"It can be over for good. If you let it be."  
Rachel thought on those words, then shook her head.  
"I can't." She said as tears sprang to her eyes. "I'm so sorry I let you die, Kelly."   
Kelly appeared to think for a moment, then looked back up. "What was it I used to say? From the Disney movie?" Rachel chuckled through her tears, she and Kelly said in unison.  
"You've got to put your behind in your pants."  
They laughed together. Kelly took a breath and seemed to get more serious.  
"No. The line is 'you've got to put your past behind you'" She said.  
"I can't do that, Kel. I miss you too much."  
"I know you do. And I know you have to blame someone for what happened, but you can't blame yorself forever."  
"It was my fault." Rachel said to her specter.  
"Let's not do this now." Kelly said and smiled wide once again. "So this Dean, he's really hot huh?"  
Rachel snorted. "He's a jerk."   
"A really cute jerk, huh Rach?" Kelly raised her eyesbrows.  
Rachel shrugged. it really almost felt like she was sitting up at night talking about boys with her little sister.  
"I shouldn't feel that way right now. It's a betrayal." Rachel said.  
Kelly shook her head sadly.  
"I give you permission to be flustered by him, ok?" She said.  
"No." Rachel answered, saddening once again. "Loosing you still hurts too bad, Kel. I don't deserve to be happy or get all googly over a guy when your gone and it's all my fault."  
Kelly gave her the saddest most hurtful look. Even in death, her sister tried to look out for her. Too bad Rachel couldn't have done the same and kept Kelly alive,  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Rachel." Was the last thing kelly said.  
The sisters gazed in silence at eachother for a moment, then Rachel blinked and Kelly was gone.  
She stared at the spot where her sister had just occupied for how long, she wasn't sure.  
the only thing that brought her back was the tear drop that landed on her arm. She looked down and realized she had tear streaks all down her face. she wiped them away with her fingertips, feeling freash tears fill her eyes.  
Miserable, she turned the lamp off and layed back down in the dark.  
She wasn't sure if she'd stopped crying or fell asleep first. 


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Rachel knocked on their motel room dorr carrying a tray of coffee. She was exhausted and couldn't wait to down the cup of dark liquid.  
sam answered the door.  
"Morning Rachel." He said uninthusiastically. He looked exhausted as well.  
"Morning Sammy. Ready for another hard day of fighting evil?" She said as she smiled.  
he didn't even crack a grin as he said "No."  
She wiped the fake smile from her face and slumped her shoulders as she walked past him into the room.  
"Good. Me neither. Maby I'd be more inthusiastic when we figure out who this bitch is."  
She placed the tray of coffee on the table and looked around. "Where's Dean?"  
"Just getting out of the shower." Sam answered.  
As if on cue, Dean stepped out of the bathroom on a whiff of steam that smelled like sandlewood. He was fully dressed in worn jeans and a blue cotton long sleeved shirt. he was clean shaven and his hair was still slightly damp.  
She looked away quickly, barking at herself for noticing the way the sleeves streched over him biceps and how the hem rested on his narror hips. She also noticed that she didn't prefer his face smooth like it was now. the 5 o'clock shaddow she seen him with up till now was rugged and suited him more.   
She thought back to her dream last night and realized that if it had been real she would have felt that stubble on his chin press into her skin as he kissed her. she took the lid off her coffee and blew on it gently to distract herself.  
"Cooffee for me too?" He asked when he saw the other two cups sitting in the tray. "How nice of you to think of me."  
She glared at him, took a breath and composed herself.  
"Well, you bought me a burger yesterday. I didn't like owing you." She said.  
he walked over to the table where she was standing and leaned over to take one of the cups. the motion put him closer to her than she would have liked. Just as he leaned in she took a breath that was filled with the spicy scent of his aftershave. And he was close enought for her to see the little droplets of water that where still in his hair.  
"Please don't take the wrong one." She said as he straightened up and looked down at her. "The one WITHOUT the arscenic is for Sam."   
He chuckled and took the top off the cup. He took a long sip. She watched his mouth as he did it. He swallowed and aimed his eyes back at her.  
"If the Devil spawn and Hell beast haven't got me yet, a little arscenic hasn't got a chance." He walked away with a smirk.  
God, how he irritated her!  
"ok, so what's the plan for today?" Sam asked after shaking his head at the two of them.  
"I'm not sure what else we can do at this point. We haven't found anything that would explain it. I'm not even sure this is Mary anymore." Rachel said handing Sam his coffee.  
"As much as I hate to agree, I think your right." Dean said. "No Mary's dying in front of mirrors in this town or any around it. Maby we're dealing with something else."  
Rachel's phone rang.  
Her heart jumped and she hesitated reaching for it.  
"This time maby we'll answer it? Yes?" Dean mocked.  
She flipped him the finger.

Dean watched her as she pulled the phone out. Relief spread over her beautiful face. He was sure then that it wasn't her mother again.  
"It's Charlie." She anounced as she answered it.  
"Hello." She said. He watched her impossibly green eyes narrow as the voice of a histerical girl could be heard on the line.  
"Ok Charlie, calm down." Rachel said. "Take a breath and tell me what happened."  
She placed a hand on her hip and lowered her head, listening. She started to pace slowly as he and Sam watched her.  
Dean's thought's went again to how friggin gorgeous she was as he watched her listen to the girl on the other end. In between the 'Yeah''s and the 'Go on"s he truly took notice of how small her waist was, how full her lips were. She had a killer body and he could almost feel how soft her skin must be.  
At one point she stood with her back turned to him and Sam. Her black hair fell in waves to her waist, he could almost imagine her naked, the ends of that sexy dark mass tickleing the tops of her hips and perfectly shaped ass. he could almost feel his hand under all that hair, curling at the small of her back.  
His body started to react to that image, his groin tightened pleasurably.  
Too bad she wasn't some chick in a bar in one of the for nothing little towns he always passed through.  
Too bad she had to be another hunter on HIS case and annoyed every blood vessel in his body. The bitch.  
"Ok, sit tight, we'll be there soon." she said as she closed the phone and turned to them once again.  
"We gotta go. Mary got another one." 


	6. Chapter 6

30 minuets later Rachel sat on a bench outside the university inthe shade of a huge elm tree. Next to her sat Charlene McDonald, one of Donna Shoemachers friends. The 19 year old petite blond was sobbing as she told the tale of her friend Jill who had been found dead that morning on her bathroom floor.. Rachel held her hand in a effort to comfort the distraught girl.  
Sam and Dean stood close by, listening intently to the story.  
"...And they said her eyes...Were gone!" Charlie stammered.  
"I'm sor sorry, Charlie." Rachel cooed.  
"And she said it," Charlie said looking at all of them. "She said 'Bloody Mary' In the mirror...God, I'm crazy right?"  
"No, your not crazy." Sam told her.  
Her eyes got distant as she said, "That makes me feel so much worst."  
"Do you think you can get us into Jill's room to look around?" Dean asked.  
Charlie nodded. "Yeah, I think so. You might have to help, Rachel."

That night Charlie and Rachel stood on Jill's front door step and rang the bell.  
Rachel took a deep breath and prepared to do the part of this job she hated the most.  
"Ok, remember what we said?" Rachel asked Charlie.  
The girl looked nervous but nodded. Rachel took her hand in her's and laced their fingers together. She leaned closer to her as if for support just as the door opened.  
A woman in her late 40's answered, her eyes were puffy as if she'd been crying, which Rachel knew she had. This was Jill's mother.  
"Charlie." The woman said. "Hello, sweetheart."  
"Hello, Mrs. Adler. I'm sorry I know it's late. This is Rachel. She went so school with me and Jill."  
The woman looked over at Rachel and smiled weakly.  
"Your one of Jill's friends?" She asked.   
Rachel let the tears she'd been welling up spill over her cheeks.  
"Mrs. Adler, I'm so sorry about Jill. I can't believe any of it." rachel sobbed while leaning into Charlie.  
"I know." Jill's mom said with tears of her own. "I can't either."  
Rachel felt a pang. She was going to Hell for this.   
"I'm sorry to bother you at home so soon, but I asked Charlie to bring me becuase I won't be here for the funeral. Mu mom's really sick and I have to get on a plane tomorrow. I wanted to see you befor I went." Rachel said as she cried. Her voice cracking.  
"Oh sweetie." Mrs. Adler said as she reached out to imbrace Rachel warmly.  
Feeling like the biggest piece of shit on the planet, Rachel hugged her back and stayed in character and hugged her back. they sobbed together for a moment before Mrs. Adler released her and stepped back from the doorway.  
"Please girls, come in."  
As they moved over the threshold Rachel glanced over to see Charlie looking at her, horrified. Rachel didn't blame her, this was one of her friends mothers and she was manipulating her in the time where she was most vaunerable.  
"Mrs. Adler I hate to ask." Rachel said when they sttod in the living room with the front door closed. "But would it be ok if i saw Jill's room? I'd like to just be around her pictures for a while."   
"Your really taking this hard, aren't you dear?" The older woman asked.  
Rachel welled up new tears. "I just feel so bad that i can't be here to say good bye. I mean, we didn't know eachother long but she was agreat friend."  
"I'm sure your mother needs you very much, Rachel. Jill's room is the first door on the right down that hall. You take all the time you need."   
"Thank you so much." Rachel said as she and Charlie walked down the hall.  
As soon as they were in the room with the door closed, Rachel wiped her eyes and headed for the window. She pushed the curtain back to see Sam and Dean's faces on the other side of the pane. She opened it to let them in.  
"That was horrible Rachel." Charlie said. "I didn't think it was going to be that bad."  
rachel took the duffle bag of equiptment from Sam and pulled it into the room as she answered.  
"I know. Ifeel bad. Don't think I don't. But it was for the greater good."  
She stepped back as Dean climbed through the window.  
"I hate lying to her." Charlie said.  
"Would you hate it if some one else died?" Dean asked gruffly.  
Rachel put the bag on the bed and opened it as Sam came through the window and closed it behind him.  
"Of course I would." Charlie answered.  
"So don't feel too bad. You trying to prevent that, right?" Dean said.  
Rachel pulled out the hand held cam corder as Sam took the EMF meter. She switched on the camera as Dean started to check the mirror closest to the bed.  
"So what are you looking for?" Charlie asked.  
"We'll know when we find it." Sam answered as he moved away with the meter in his hand.  
Rachel fiddled with the camera but couldn't get it to the setting she wanted. the small screen was dark.  
"Umm..." She said confused. "How do you get night vision on this thing?"  
Dean was in front of her with his back turned. He turned and pushed a button on the top and all of a sudden his image appeared in the screen in a ghostly green tones of night vision mode. His eyes glowed brightly.  
She was sbout to turn away and scan the room when she saw him give a tiny smile and pose looking over his shoulder slightly. The colar of his jacket was turned up in the back and for a moment he looked like a model in a cologne commercial.  
"Do I look like Paris Hilton?" He asked then twitched his eyebrow playfully.  
GOD, HE'S FUCKING GORGEOUS. She thought. She didn't even try to stop herself. An asshole he may be, but she was going to give credit where credit was due.  
She had to physically stop herself from chuckleing at his comment.  
"Well, that depends." She answered. "Are you TRYING to look like a sleezy, airhead heiress with crabs?"  
He seemed to think about it a moment, then shrugged.  
"Point taken." He said and turned back to the mirror he was inspecting.  
When he couldn't see her, she smiled then began to scan the room.  
"I don't get it." Sam said as he walked by the closet slowly. "One victim calls her and the other doesn't. How is she choosing them?"  
"I'm not sure. But what I think is more important is why Jill said it in the first place?" Dean said with a pointed stare at Charlie.  
The girl looked guilty as she shrugged.  
"It was just a joke." She said.  
Rachel came to the bathroom mirror, running the camera over it, looking at the green image on the screen, she came to the bottom of it and stopped. Studying the small monitor she frowned at what she saw.  
Between the porceline of the sink and the bottom of the mirror that hung above it an 8 inch space of wall could be seen, that part of the wall was stainted with dark drips that looked like they were comming from behind the mirror. but these drips where only visable on the screen. Rachel looked at the wall itself and saw nothing, but when she looked at the image the camera picked up the drips glowed, betrayed by the night vision.  
"Sam." She called looking over her shoulder at him.  
He waslked over to her and looked at the screen. She saw him frown as he saw the drips the camera revealed.  
They both looked at the EMF as it emitted a low hum. Sam passed it closer to the wall and the thing all of a sudden lit up brightly when it was pointed at the invisable stain.  
They looked at eachother with raised eyebrows.  
"Hey Dean?" Sam called looking over his shoulder to his brother who was now inspecting the closet mirror.  
"Yeah?" Dean asnwered.  
"There's a black light in the trunk right?"

3 minuets later they had the mirror face down on Jill's bed. As Dean plugged in the black light he'd gotten from the trunk of his car, Sam stripped away the brown paper from the mirror's back. The errie purple light flickered on on Dean passed it over the newly revealed silver surface. As they all watched, the black light made luminescent an errie sight.  
A hand print glowed vibrant. It was surrounded by more of the drips that they'd seen on the wall. Dean ran the light lower to reveal letters under the print. Rachel leaned in closer to read them.  
"Gary Brockman." She said.  
Every one was silent. She turned to Charlie who was sitting on the bed next to the mirror. She looked astonished.  
"Do you know who that is?" Rachel asked.  
Slowly Charlie shook her head. "No."  
"Well, we need to find out." Sam said.


	7. Chapter 7

Later that afternoon Rachel sat on a bench outside the police station with Charlie. Dean was standing close to them.  
They were waiting for Sam, who was inside tricking an office clerk out of information to the name they found written on the back of Jill's mirror.  
"So this is what you guys do? Hunt things that kill people?" Charlie asked  
Rachel and Dean looked at her, not surprised by the question as it had been asked by countless other people on countless other hunts.  
"Yeah kind of." Rachel answered her.  
"How did you get into it? I can't exactly see an add in the paper for ghost hunters."  
"Our dad's did this. We're kind of the second generation." Rachel answered.  
Dean thought to himself that it was the perfect reply. Telling the truth but not giving away too much to the fact that they where a breed of people that lived under the radar as they hunted things that go bump in the night. It didn't betray that there where many other that did the same thing.   
"So it's just the three of you. How long have you been together?" Charlie asked.  
"Too damn long for my taste." Dean answered.  
Rachel narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a sarcastic 'Ha ha ha'  
Charlie smiled at them. "Wow. I hope that I can find a boyfriend that suits me as well as you two do eachother. You know, fits into my lifestyle as well."  
Rachel and Dean both looked at her frowning.  
"What?" They asked in unison.  
The girl looked at them both in confusion.  
"Yeah, you two are perfect for eachother, you both do this job that no one knows about. Cut from the same cloth, you know? Seriously, how long have you been together?"  
Rachel laughed. All of a sudden very uncomfortable. Charlie thought she and Dean were a couple! Deans next line was right on;  
"Listen chicky, I'm not sure what you've been smoking but if you have some extra pass it on."  
Rachel was still laughing as she turned her attention back to Charlie who was frowning even deeper now.  
"We're not dating! what ever gave you that idea?"  
"Your not?"  
"No. Are you kidding me? Don't you see how mean he is to me?" Rachel said.  
"Well, yeah. But That's what made me think that. I see how you two are with eachother. You argue like you've done it forever." Charlie said.  
"You mean the way she nags at me like an old wife?" Dean asked. rachel glared up at him.  
"Or that he's a pigheaded jerk that never has anything nice to say to me? rachel said more as a stab at Dean than a question for Charlie.  
"Or is it that she's constantly out of line and I have to remind her? Dean asked in the same fashion.  
Rachel's anger threshold once again snapped by him, she dropped the whole 'questions to Charlie' bit and directly to him with a scowl.  
"Oh, becuase it's your job to show me my place?"  
Dean liked the fact that he'd angered her again. And he also realized that it wasn't because he disliked her this time.  
"You shouldn't be here. Period." He couldn't help but egg her on at this point. He found her nager ejoyable. It did something he found pleasurable to her features.  
"And YOU decide that?" She asked.  
Dean was about to give her another smartass answer when Charlie cut him off with a stupid smile.  
"Yeah, that's what I mean. it's like you both enjoy it." She said.  
"Charlie, I'm not sure why you think I'd enjoy his bullshit oppion." Rachel said.  
"Or that I enjoy taking her bullshit period." Dean Said.  
Once again talking right to him, she glared.  
"I know what you COULD take. How about some anti-asshole pill's?"  
Matching her glare, Dean said very pointedly to her;  
"Ok, I think we've heard enough from you."  
She was silent for a moment. then said; "Dont talk to me that way." The words where so slow and steady that Dean knew they where a warning. He knew he was going to far, but he couldn't help himself.  
"What are you gonna do to stop me, swetheart?" He said just as quietly.  
She said nothing, but he saw her jaw clench and her nostrals flare. She stood up slowly, never taking her eyes from him.  
He stared back at her as she came to her full height, which was still 8 inches shorter than his, so he was looking down at her. He felt the aprehention of the anger that exhuded from her. He'd really pushed a button and he was liking the reaction that he got back.  
"Are you done?" She asked through teeth that were all but clenched.  
She was holding back. She knew Charlie was watching them and he could guess that that was the reason she was as contained as she was. Which was not saying much as she was almost bursting at the seams. His belly knotten up. She was so hot when she was fuming like this, it exited him. he could imagine what it would be like if she really lost it at him instead of holding back like she was now.  
The thought was almost enough to arouse him.  
He sneered at looked right at her.  
"Nope." Was all he said. Drawing the word out in a challenge.  
She stepped closer to him with her hand fisted at her sides. "You dumbass, ignorant, stupid motherfu-.." She stared but was cut off by Sam who stepped inbetween them  
"Woah! woah, slow down." He said as he pushed himself physically between them.  
"Can I leave you two alone with eachother for a second?" He asked sarcastically.  
rachel felt her anger push down. not diminish, just get shoved back. She'd had it with him. Thank God Sam was there, she had been about to let go and beat the crap out of him in front of Charlie. She tore her eyes from his and swore that she'd wait until the time was right to deal with him.   
"Wow. You two really hate eachother." Charlie said. "Boy, I had it completly backwards."  
Rachel made a mental note of how much an idiot she thought the girl was. And she also told herself that she was right. She and Dean hated eachother. She'd imagined the fact that the argument and the heat she'd seen in his eyes was not just anger, but sexually charged heat and passion. She also told herself that it wasn't excitment she'd felt as he pushed her to the last limit, but pure hatered and loathing.  
She told herself all this. And she almost believed it.  
"Ok, so does everyone want to know what I found out?" Sam asked.  
"What'd you find Sammy?" Dean asked. His voice still thick with emotion.   
"Gary Brockman was a 12 year old boy" Sam said as he sat down and read from a slip of paper in his hand. "He was killed two years ago in a hit and run accident that involved a black Toyota Camery. No one got the plates."  
Charlie's face turned white as her jaw dropped.  
"Oh my God." She said. "Jill drove a black Camery."  
"Do you know if it was actually her?" Rachel asked.  
"She never said anything to me, but it just seems like an awfully big coincidence, don't you?" Charlie said.  
"I agree." Dean said. "I think it's safe to assume Jill was our hit and run driver."  
The three hunters looked at eachother. Rachel and Dean's eyes locked with malice, but neither of them could deny that they where both thinking the same thing when it came to what the next step was.  
"Charlie," Rachel said for all three of them. "We need to get back into your friend Donna's house."


	8. Chapter 8

They had to wait until that evening to get back into the shoemaker house and talk to Donna. As they drove back to the motel in the Impala, Sam and Dean in the front, Rachel sat in the back very detached from the brothers conversation about the case.

Dean kept glancing at her in the rearview mirror as he drove, her face was blank as she gazed out the window and he felt aprehensive at her silence. He felt like she was saving her energy. Saving her engergy for the ripping she was going to give him.

He deserved it, he thought, he knew he'd stepped over the line. In the beginning he'd been pissed because she'd beat him to a job that he'd needed to keep his sanity. These months looking for Dad with no luck, Sam getting antsy as well with all the nightmares had played on his nerves to the point that he'd needed something destroy. As soon as he'd found it with Bloody Mary, he'd found her there to destroy it first. Naturally he'd lashed out.

But now his anger had subsided to the point that he'd actually began to respect her.

She was a good hunter. Quick thinking and clever when it came to the case. He hadn'tknown her very long but he could almost admit that maby he'd be ok with her having his back in a fight.

Maby he should ease up on her.

At this point he wasn't sure that he could. Or wanted to. He liked the reaction he got from her when he pushed her buttons.

They pulled up to the motel room and got out. It was getting late and they had just enought time to get their gear together from their rooms and maby grab a bite to eat before they went back to inspect the Shoe maker house the proper way now that they knew what to look for.

Three car doors slammed. Rachel's a little harder than the other two, and they wanlked toward the door.

Sam opened it with his key and stepped in. Dean was about to walk in after him when Rachel stepped in front of him, blocking the way.

She reached into the room, grabbed the knob and pulled the door shut, closing the room off to them both.

She turned to him, her eyes not as angry as he would have thought they'd be at that moment.

"Don't EVER do that to me again in front of some one I'm trying to help." She said sternly looking him so intensly in the eyes that he had to fight the urge to look away. He set his jaw and readied for the confrontation with her.

"Don't tell me what I need or need not to do, sweetheart. You on't like the reaction." He said.

"I didn't tell you you NEEDED to do ANYTHING." She said with a clam and even voice. "I told you NOT to do it again."

He was silent, his own anger bubling now. She was telling him what to do?

"You made us BOTH look like assholes back there." She continued. "In front of a girl who's scared and rely's on us to stop the people she loves from dying from something she doesn't understand."

She was right. He knew it. But he wasn't going to let her know he thought that.

"So your worried about the way she see's you?" He asked sarcastically. "Guess what, this isn't a popularity contest. It's about trying to stop this thing."

"Yeah, your right. But we need her help to do that and we need her to trust us. You making it seem like we can't work together is only going to make her question how capable we are to get this done."

Once again, she had a valid point. His anger at the realization made him more defensive. He was trying to think of some retort when she spoke again.

"Now, I don't know about you. But I want to help these people. Regardless of how or who I have to share the glory with. Like a good hunter should."

She turned away then to walk toward her own room, she thought this conversation was over after what she just said?! His anger was all consuming.

"Are you saying I'm NOT a good hunter?" He damanded.

She turned back to him, her voice riseing.

"I'm sating stop being an ass Dean!" Her green eyes where bright and wild as she got excited. "Remeber what's important here and put the size of your balls away."

"Me and Sam can handle this. We don't need YOUR help." Was all he could say, feeling foolish.

She walked toward him and got right in his face. Quietly she said; "I wouldn't leave now for anything."

He felt his body react to her closness in two ways, the first was excitment, which he pegged off quickly to their heated conversation and the adrenaline that was running through him. The second was pure rage at the fact that she'd turned the tables on him and was now pushing HIS buttons.

"Just to spite me? Now who's loosing sight of the work?" He asked.

She stepped back a bit and actually smirked. Aware of the fact that she was winning the argument.

"You started this. Not me." She said.

"Your a hypocrite then." He said hotly.

"A hypocrite I might be, but your the one whose made me so defensive."

"Oh give me a break." He argued. "Either do this job right or don't. But don't make excuses for yourself and blame it on me."

"Who's making excuses?" She said raising her voice again. "Your a jerk to me and all I'm saying is hate me if you want to when there's no one around but give it up in front of Charlie becuase I'm not going anywhere. Get used to the fact that I'm your partner on this case and let's move on."

"I don't want you here. Nothing's going to change that." He stated firmly.

She leaned back and took a breath, gritting her teeth.

"Ok, I see I have to paint a picture for you." Her voice became very condisending. "Imagine how you would have felt if the same thing happend to you when your mother died."

He lost it then. Anger flooded over him in hot waves. He clenched his fists at his sides and spoke through his teeth.

"Don't you talk about my mother." He said. His brown knitting, his nostrals flaring.

"I'm trying to remind your that you where one of these people once." She said, getting angrier herself. "Treat them like your'd want to be treated. That includes me! Your father's a respectable hunter and I'm sure he tought you well. Would he treat another hunter he met out there the way your treating me?"

He hated the fact that she was making sense. Hated the fact that she'd gotten this reaction from him, but more than anything he hated the fact that his own body betrayed him. He wanted to kiss her so badly.

"Don't assume to know so much about my family." He said. Inwardly he though: WEAK. REALLY WEAK, DEAN.

"I know nothing but the example your setting." She said. "Thank God Sam is here to make me think that you don't have your head as far up your ass as it seems."

They where silent then. Their eyes locked. What could he say? She'd succeded in making him look like a dumbass.

NO. YOU DID THAT YOURSELF. He thought. BY BEING A GLORY HOUND AND REFUSING TO WORK WITH AN EXCELLENT HUNTER.

"I'm going to get my stuff." She said at last. Her tone and eyes softening. "I'll be ready to go in 5 minuets."

She turned and walked away then. He watched her back as she went. Her long hair swaying with her hips.

Below his simmering temper he felt another wave of what he'd thought in the car. She was smart and cool when she needed to be. He respected her. As a fellow hunter who was just as good, if not better at this job, than he was.

Not one word of what she'd said was untrue. from Charlies trust in them to how disappointed his father would be. How had she done that? How had she made him so wrong?

DAMN HER! He thought.

Feeling like he could rip something apart he burst into his motel room to a startled Sam. Who had their bag open on the other bed and was packing up their equiptment.

"I take it you two wern't making out?" Sam Said.

Dean ripped off his leather jacket and threw it on the bed violently in frustration. He paced the floor slightly, unsure what to do with himself. His chest heaved with every breath, his nostrals flared and his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. He was aware of his brother watching him.

"You two need to give this up." Sam said as he continued his task. "You especially."

Dean turned to glare at him. "Who's side are you on, anyway?" He asked heatedly. "I'M your brother, remember?"

Sam smirked. "It's not about sides, Dean. She's a good hunter and we wouldn't be as far into this right now if she wern't here, and you know it."

Did every one know his thoughts?!! Dean thought. He could do nothing but stare at Sam. Who continued.

"What's even funnier is I'm not sure what it is you don't like about her. She's female, just your type."

"Don't Sam." Dean warned. "Just don't go there."

"Oh please Dean, do you think I'm blind?" Sam asked. "I'm in between this little love/hate/sarcasm thing you two got going on and I see how you both look at eachother when the other isn't looking. She intimidates you, doesn't she?"

Dean was gritting his teeth so hard they hurt. He wasn't about to be made to feel like a bigger asshole by his brother right after Rachel had done it.

Picking up his jacket he headed for the door. Outside he could cool down enough to be able do his job at the Shoemaker house tonight. He didn't need this shit right befor an investigation.

"I'll be in the car. Come out when you ready." Was the last thing he said over his shoulder befor he walked outside.


	9. Chapter 9

They where in the Shoemaker house once again. In the same bathroom where they had first stumbled onto eachother. Charlie was downstairs trying to convince Donna Shoemaker that all her questions would be answered soon.

She had been so surprised when she'd opened the door to see one of her best friends standing there with the two guys that supposedly "Worked" with her father and Lily's "Counselor". She hadn't wanted to let them in but Charlie had somehow managed to convince her to allow the three of them to inspect the place where her father had died.

She trusted Charlie and allowed it, but she was going to demand answers after all this.

Before they'd come they'd discussed sneaking in again, but Rachel insisted that this was not the way to go. If they found another name, they didn't want to waste more time finding out who the person was. Especially if the person was close to the Shoemakers, Donna could provide the answers they needed if she could be coaxed into trusting them. It was time to come clean, they needed this done quickly before she struck again.

Dean admitted that this was a good idea. Their earlier converstaion was to a point forgotten now by both of them. The hunt was still on and it was time to work, she'd been very happy that she'd gotten through to him to a certain extent that at least he'd be willing to work with her without mouthing off. Let him think what he wanted in his head, it would be easier for her to face the feelings she had if he was still cold to her. But outwardly she was glad for the change her talk had made. Now atleast it wouldn't interfere with her work.

So here they where. Sam and Dean had just managed to mirror off the wall and where inspecting it on the floor. Rachel had the camera on night vision and was inspecting the mirrors in the hall way she'd noticed.

Dean ran the black light over the back or the mirror, not surprised this time when the hand print showed up brightly. Under it, a name.

"Linda Shoemaker." He whispered.

He and Sam looked at eachother, acknowleding that the other saw it.

"Rachel, come check this out." Sam called.

She came in and leaned on the doorframe, the camera still in her hand. Looking at the mirror back and what the black light revealed, she nodded.

"That's not all." She said. "Three of the five mirrors this hall have the drips behind them, and they're all the mirrors leading into the bathroom."

Sam and Dean looked up at her from their crouched positions on the floor, waiting for her hypothosis.

"I don't think she originated in this mirror," Rachel said pointing to the one on the floor, the one Charles Shoemaker had died in front of. "which is the one that Lily called her to initially. I think she followed Charles by THOSE mirrors after she was called. Because Lily said that he came from downstairs. I think those drips are kind of her signature. You know, like a "Mary Was Here." sort of thing."

Deans mind digested all this information, his brow furrowed with his thoughts. "Whcih means that she sought him out from the begining." He said looking up at her. "It wasn't just that Lily called her and her dad saved her from Mary by coincidence, She was after him the whole time."

Dean looked over to Sam who nodded in agreement.

"We need to talk to Donna." Sam said.

Downstairs they found Donna with Charlie at the base of the stairs. Dean had no doubt in his mind that Charlie had just been trying to stop Donna from comming upstairs when the three of them came down.

"Ok, I want to know what's going on." Donna stated. The small brunette crossed her arms in front of her chest and all but tapped her foot.

Glancing at eachother, Sam took the lead.

"Who is Linda Shoemaker?" Sam asked as softly as he could.

Donna's face took on a harder look than before.

"Why are you asking me this?" She demanded.

THIS ISN"T GOING TO GO WELL, Rachel though. The girl was already defensive, nothing they'd say at this point would soften her.

"Look, we're sorry, but it's important." Rachel said trying to look sypathetic

"Yeah. Linda's my mom okay? She overdosed on sleeping pills, it was an accident, and that's it. I think you should leave."

I CALLED IT. Rachel thought.

"Now Donna, just listen." Dean tried, but the angry girl cut him off befor he could finish his sentance.

"Get out of my house!" She raged and ran up the stairs leaving the three hunters with Charlie at the bottom. They all blew out flustered breaths at the scene that had just gone so wrong.

Charlie was the first to speak."Oh my God. Do you really think her dad could've killed her mom?"

"Maybe." Sam answered.

"I think I should stick around." Charlie said.

"All right. Whatever you do, don't—" Dean started but was once again cut off, by Charlie this time.

"Believe me, I won't say it." She answered.

Later that night, Rachel and Sam walked back into the motel room with arms loaded with McDonalds bags which contained their dinner. They had left Dean at the motel, He said he had something to do and declined to go with them. So they got into Rachel's Mustang and drove to the golden arches to grab the food. (And a 6 pack on the way back)

When they opened the door, laughing at something Sam had said, Dean was sitting at the table with the laptop open befor him and he was staring intently at the screen, not even looking up when they entered. She felt butterflies when she saw him there. He'd chaged into a faded grey t-shirt that had AC/DC printed across the chest with the signature lighting bolt, and that, combined with the worn jeans and scuffed boots made him look dangerous. She saw his bicep under the hem of the sleeve, the a faint hint of a vein running up it was very sexy.

She recovered herslef quicky and looked away, pushingthe thoughts from her mind, not aware that Sam had cought the look and smiled inwardly to himself. Dean had papers printed out all over the surface of the table so that they had to put the bags down on the bed.

"What you doin'?" Sam asked him.

Once agin without looking up at them, he answered saying he was checking police records for Mary. Rachel once again noticed how smooth and deep his voice was. He thoughts sprange to chocolate.

"Wait, wait, wait, you're doing a nationwide search?" Sam asked

"Yep. The NCIC, the FBI database—at this point any Mary who died in front of a mirror is good enough for me." Dean answered.

Hearing their words, Rachel came out of her Dean induced haze and dropped once again into doing the brain work this case took.

"But if she's haunting the town, she should have died in the town." She added, opening a beer for herself she sat in the chair next to Dean to see the computer, Sam crouched nearby to view it as well.

"I'm telling you there's nothing local," He told her with a hint of blatant annoyance she'd become familiar with. "I've checked. So unless you got a better idea— "

"The way Mary's choosing her victims, it seems like there's a pattern." Sam said befor Dean could finish his nasty comment and to avoid another cat fight between the.

"I know, I was thinking the same thing." Dean said.

"With mister Shoemaker and Jill's hit and run." Sam added.

Realization Began to seep into Rachel's mind. "Both had secrets where people died." She all but whispered.

"Right." Sam said. "I mean there's a lot of folklore about mirrors-that they reveal all your lies, all your secrets, that they're a true reflection of your soul, which is why it's bad luck to break them."

"Right, right. So maybe if you've got a secret, I mean like a really nasty one where someone died, then Mary sees it, and punishes you for it." Dean said.

Rachel's belly dropped out from under her. She realized they where both right. And if this where all true, she fit Mary's profile of someone that needed to be killed. She'd let her sister drown. Mary would come after her. How did she use this to her advantage? How could she stop Mary with her secret?

"Rachel?" She looked up and realized that Sam had called her name serveral times already

Rachel looked up at him and instead of answering why she'd just faded out of their conversation for a moment, she took right back up where they'd left off.

"Whether you're the one that summoned her or not." She answered.

Shaking his head, Dean Said: "Take a look at this." He handed her a picture of a woman with dark hair laying by a large ornate mirror in a puddle of blood. Her face couldn't be seen. Sam looked over her shoulder at it. Dean printed out another picture and handed it to her as well. This picture was of a part of the mirror that had a bloody handprint on the surface. Under it, written in blood as well where the letters "Tre"

"Looks like the same handprint." Sam said.

"Her name was Mary Worthington—an unsolved murder in Fort Wayne, Indiana." Dean explained.

HE FIGURED IT OUT. Rachel thought. Of course they couldn't know for sure yet if this was their spirit, but rachel had been doing this long enough to know that this was probably their girl. And Dean had figured out the first step in finally stopping her which was finding out who she was. After they'd thought that that avenue was closed to them, he'd found a way to open it again. Rachel was very impressed at the moment. He had a great sense of gut feeling, and you had to have that to do this job right. Every thing else aside, Rachel felt proud to be working with such a clever hunter at the moment. One who'd just gien this case new life.

"Well, I suppose this means we're going on a road trip." Sam said.

Looking up from the photographs, she looked Dean right in his beautiful hazel eyes. For the first time not with anger or hate behind their gazes, no frowning faces or pulsating forhead veins. They looked at eachother as colligues. As partners ready for the next step. And they both felt at that moment, thought the other didn't know...maby a little more than that.

"Your car or mine?" She asked.


	10. Chapter 10

It was late. Comming up on 2 AM. They had another 3 hours or so befor they got into Indiana. They had decided to drive the Impala rather than the Mustang. Mostly because Dean refused to leave it behind. So to shut him up, Rachel agreed to leave her car at the motel. It was better than hearing him bellyache, and taking two cars was pointless.

Sitting in the backseat with the Winchester brothers in the front, tired and cramped from the long ride so far, Rachel looked out the window at the dark night and could bearly make out the trees as they whooshed by, even though the moon was full.

She was thinking about how best to get the most information from the detective they where on their way to see. The one who'd headed up the murder of Mary Worthington.

In the back of her mind she was the thought that she would love to be in a soft warm bed right now. Even a motel room bed rather than this uncomfortable bench seat. But this was part of the life of a hunter, she was well aware. They couldn't start the long journey to Indiana in the morning, it would be taking away time they couldn't afford to lose. Not with people dying. Mary had to be figured out and they had to speak to this cop A.S.A.P. in order to do that. And that meant spending the night on the road and loosing what was sometimes considered a luxury for a hunter; sleep. After Dean had filled them in on what he'd found, they'd finished their dinner in a hurry, threw a change of clothes in the trunk and headed out.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize that Dean had pulled into a bright gas station until the car came to a stop. Tuning the engine off he turned to Sam.

"I gotta get some caffine in me," He said rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I'm getting some white line fever."

"Good," Rachel said as she strechted a little in the seat. "I have to pee so bad I can taste it."

Sam chuckled weakly with his eyes closed, his head resting against the passenger side window.

"You want anything, Sammy?" Dean asked.

"No. I'm good." Sam said, drowsily.

With that Rachel and Dean both got out of the car and headed in opposite directions. He toward the all night mart and she in the direction the signs said the bathrooms where.

10 minuets later she headed back to the car wondering when she had developed the skill to pee hovering 6 inches above the toilet seat while half asleep and not get a drop on herself. She chalked it off in her head as yet again just another stipulation of the job. Kelly had even showed her once the best position she'd found for popping a squat when there was no toilet for miles and you had to go on the side of the road. She smiled at the memory.

WHO THE HELL SAID THIS LIFE WASN'T GLAMOROUS? She thought as she reached the Impala.

Climbing in back, she noticed two things: Sam snoring softly in the front and the fact that Dean wasn't back yet. She realized then that he'd probably needed to use the bathroom as well and that's what was taking so long.

MEN HAVE THE LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO THAT STUFF. She thought as she settled in more comfortably. THEY CAN PEE ANYWHERE AND NEVER HAVE TO TOUCH A DAMN THING.

Just then in the dark distance she saw his sihlouette walking toward the car. Cast in shadows, she couldn't make out his face but she knew it was him by his height and the outline of his jacket mainly. Secondly by the way he carried himself; the swagger that said he was a hunter and different from other men. In the short time she'd known him she could recognize it already.

Holding a coffe cup, he opened the driverside door and slid into the seat. The delicious aroma of the coffee comming with him.

As soon as Dean closed the car door he heard Sam snore.

"Sam." He called.

Sam responded with another soft snore through his slightly parted lips. Dean Rolled his eyes, the selfish bastard had fallen asleep and left him to drive another 3 hours alone with Rachel.

"Sam." He called again, louder this time.

"Leave him alone." Rachel said from the back seat, sounding annoyed.

He glanced in the rearview mirror to see he looking back at him with disapproval. He rolled his eyes but bit his tongue at the sharp retort at her intrusion.

"Can't you tell he's exhausted?" She asked.

Instead of waiting for his reply, she climbed out of the car on the passenger side. He watched her as shut her door softly and open Sam's just as softly.

Sam startled awake slightly when the door he was leaning against gave way. Rachel leaned over and gently took his wrist in her hand, he looked up at her with sleepy eyes.

"Come on, Sam." She whispered to him. "You can stretch out in the back."

Dean watched as she coaxed him out of the passenger seat and guided him into the back. It was almost a funny sight, His brother being 6'4" and muscular, Rachel almost a foot shorter and slight in frame, to see as she led him like a child, steadying him so he didn't fall over, placing her hand over his crown as he ducked into the backseat so he wouldn't hit his head, whispering that he'd be comfortable soon.

At that moment Dean couldn't help but feel greatful over his annoyance at her for caring so much about Sam. He coulnd't say that to her though. Not yet anyway. Even though he felt the last of his resolve give way as he witnessed this genuine concern for his little brother, his pride was still very much intact. For the moment.

She closed the door and took Sam's place in the front seat next to him. As she shut the passenger door she looked back at Sam to see him already asleep and snoring softly once again.

GREAT. He thought as he realized that she would be next to him for another three hours on the road. THIS WON'T BE AWKWARD AT ALL.

He looked over at his new front seat mate and frowned at her.

"Quite the mother hen, aren't we?" He shot befor he could stop himself.

Her beautiful green eyes met his with a scowl.

"I'm sure your aware that he doesn't sleep well these days." She said quietly. "Why does he need to be awake if he's exhausted and can't keep his eyes open?"

She was right. Sam's nightmares kept him awake alot lately and he looked peacful right now. Even as he had these thoughts he shrugged outwardly and started the car.

"What ever." He said and as put the car in gear.

"Yeah, what ever." She repeated and scooted in her seat as far from him as possible.

Pulling out of the gas station and onto the road once again they drove into the night in silence.

He drove and she sat in the passenger seat, both of them looking out the windshield into the dark night and the black top of the highway. No other cars shared the road, so the ease of the drive gave Dean time to think.

He was tired of his own attitude. The girl next to him had earned his respect as a colligue and now as a person for her care of his brother. Besides that he had been becomming aware more and more of how attracted he was to her dispite his self induced dislike for her. She was a hard sight to ignore even when he at the peak of his distain. Feeling the last of his resolve slip away he swallowed the lump in his throat that was the last of his pride and spoke.

"I'm sorry." He said never taking his eyes from the road.

In his perriferal vision he saw her head turn in his direction. He could almost feel the frown she must be wearing. She probably didn't think she heard him right.

"What?" She asked, dumbfounded.

He looked over at her and saw th e exact look he'd pictured on her face. Turning forward again he took a deep breath.

"I said I was sorry." He answered. "I've been hard on you since this whole thing started and I feel bad about it."

She was silent. Asessing him he guessed.

"Don't tell me your going to start being nice to me all of a sudden." She said.

He shrugged. "Maby not nice. But less of a bastard." He explained. "Would that be so bad?"

He glanced at her once again to see her give a shrug of her own.

"I'm not sure I could handle it." She answered.

He smiled and when he did he thought he saw something cross her features. It was gone befor he could really think about it.

"Look, not that it's an excuse but looking for Dad, Sammy and these dreams, not having a real case in weeks. I needed this case and I find you here first. It kinda got the best of me." He explained honestly, looking forward once agian, not because he felt he had to, but because he found her features where distracting him from his line of thought. "I guess I wanted this one all to myself."

She was silent again, contimpalting what he'd said he figured.

"I suppose I could understand that." She said finally.

"Besides, after that little talk you had with me I figured I should get my act together and not piss you off any more." He said with a smirk. "I've come to the conclusion that your a bad ass chick and I like my face the way it is."

She laughed then. He couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"Yeah, dude I was very ready to kick your ass." She said.

"After what you said about my dad I was ready to kick my own ass." He admitted.

She was quiet again, a glance in her dirction revealed an sorrowful look on her face.

"I hit a nerve there huh?" She asked.

He shrugged once again. "My dad is very commited to this job. After my mother he did everything he could to make sure my family was never hurt by these things again and that included surrounding himself and learning from people who already did this. A team player you could say. You were right when you said that he never would have treated another hunter like that. He would have had my skin if he saw how I was acting, he thought me better than that."

"My dad was the same way." She said. "You know I bet they knew eachother. My dad started hunting a few years befor I was born, around the same time yours started hunting I suppose. And we're from Colorado, we where practically neighbors."

He knodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "I wouldn't be surprised if they did. There a reason your dad started?"

"If there was my mother never told me. She doesn't like to talk about what he did, every time I ever asked her anything about it she was very vague and changed the subject. I guess she felt that talking about it would encourage us." She replied.

For the next hour they talked about their fathers the hunters. He found out that she and her sister where tought almost in secrect how to hunt from a close friend of their fathers that lived close by and they exchanged stories about some of the things they'd seen out there.

There were light moments and they even laughed a few times when they had sibling stories to share.

Dean was surprised by how quick they had managed to get along after so many days of being at eachothers throats. Not that all the tension was gone, but in the place of most of it was an easy conversation which after a while turned to things like movies and music.

She was a hard rock fan and listened to things like Korn and Evanescence as opposed to his classic rock tastes. She was into horror movies and disliked chick flicks, an oppinion which he was more than ready to share. They both found it kind of odd that they leaned toward movies that involved the supernatural considering what they did and for a little while debated why that was.

He was surprised by how much they had in common. He felt comfortable talking to her and found that he really liked the sound of her voice, which bothered him.

There was no doubt in his head that he was attracted to her, an admission that he found a little more exceptable now that he didn't hate her so much, but thinking about things like that was uncharactoristic for him when it came to females and it sat uneasily with him. He shook it off to the fact that he never really spent much time actually TALKING to girls he was attracted to, who had the time when you where constantly on the move like he was?

He counldn't think of her like that now though, he realized. Besides the fact that she was beautiful, she was his partner right now. So any ideas of comming on to her where out the window. At least for the moment.

He pushed the thoughts out of his head and continued talking as they drove. They where about 30 miles outside of Indiana when their laughter woke Sam. He sat up in the back seat, his hair messy and his eyes swollen. He frowned at them.

"Ok, what'd I miss?" He asked confused to their sudden tolerance of eachother.

They burst into laughter as an answer.

Rachel still sat in the front with Dean as they crossed the line into Inidana. The sun was just comming up and the three of them had been talking for the last 20 minuets of the ride. She listened as the brothers spoke and relalized what a turn she and Dean had made since leaving the gas station.

Talking to him as Sam slept she found him funny and charming at not at all bad when he was himself and not being a jerk.

He was easy to talk to and she didn't like it one bit. How was she going to stop from thinking he was sexy now when he gave her no reason not to think it?

So once again, for a totally different reason now, she made a promise to herself to finish with Mary and get the Hell away from Dean Winchester. She didn't need to be around someone who could make her forget that she didn't need to be miserable for Kelly's sake. And she was petrified that he could do that if she let him.


	11. Chapter 11

11:00 am that morning they stood in the den of retired FBI detective Richard Jameson. The large room was was richly furnished in dark woods and masculine fabrics. Just what Rachel thought the den of a cop should look like. She felt strangely comfortable standing in that room looking at the paintings of stormy seas and nature scenes, for some reason she was reminded of her father by it all.

Not that Jameson reminded her of dad at all, the former Detecive was a black man in his late 50's with a receding hairline and a mustache. He had a kind face and an unmistakable air about him that revealed what his line of work was. The damenor that only cops had made Rachel nervous usually, She didn't like lying to a guy who'd made his life's work out picking up subtleties in body language and other such things which give away the fact that you WHERE lying. But Rachel was more comfortable with Jameson some how, he still had the aura about him, but it was less imposing and more demure. Not as if he'd lost his touch, but as if he was happy that he didn't have to be so alert anymore.

She guessed he'd been retired a long time to be at such ease, because he bought their story of being reporters that wanted to talk about Mary with out too much of a problem and invited them in to his den almost warmly. He talked about the case with a sadness that was almost personal.

"I was on the job for 35 years-detective for most of that. Now everybody packs it in with a few loose ends, but the Mary Worthington murder—that one still gets me." He answered when Sam asked about Mary Worthington.

"What exactly happened?" Dean asked.

The older man raised an eyebrow at Dean "You said you were reporters?"

THERE IT GOES. Rachel thought inwardly and almost smiled at the fact that she had misjudged his ease. He was still sharper than she'd given him credit for.

"We know a few general things." Rachel cut in. "We know Mary was 19 and lived by herself. We know she won a few local beauty contests, dreamt of getting out of Indiana, being an actress. And we know the night of March 29th someone broke into her apartment and murdered her, cut out her eyes with a knife."

"That's right." Sam took over. "See sir, when we asked you what happened, we wanted to know what YOU think happened."

Leaning on his desk the former FBI angent gave them all a scrutinizing look, thinking. Rachel was actually worried for a second that he was going to say 'Your all full of shit. Get out of my house.' But to her surprise he turned around and opened the top drawer of the filing cabinet behind his desk. When his back was turned Dean looked over at Rachel and raised his eyebrows. The look that meant 'we're on thin ice, let's take it easy with him'. Rachel appluded the fact that he'd picked up the same vibe with the cop. That they had to be careful around him.

"Technically I'm not supposed to have a copy of this." Jameson said as he turned around to face them once again, a file folder in his hands. He opened it and placed it facing them on the huge mahogany desk. Comming in closer to see, they saw before them the picture Dean had found on the computer of Mary laying on the floor in a pool of blood in front of the mirror with the handprint.

"Now see that there? T-R-E?" Jameson said as he pointed to the three letters written in blood.

"Yeah." Dean answered.

"I think Mary was trying to spell out the name of her killer." Jameson looking up at them.

"You know who it was?" Sam asked.

"Not for sure. But there was a local man, a surgeon-Trevor Sampson." Jameson pulled out a picture of a man in his fourties wearing an expensive suit and sunglasses. "And I think her cut her up good." He finished with a note of sadness in his voice.

"Now why would he do something like that?" Rachel asked

"Her diary mentioned a man that she was seeing." Jameson said looking right into Rachel's eyes. "She called him by his initial, "T". Well, her last entry, she was gonna tell "T"'s wife about their affair."

"Yeah but how do you know it was Sampson who killed her?" Dean said.

Frowning the detective looked at the floor. "It's hard to say, but the way her eyes were cut out…it was almost professional."

"But you could never prove it?" Dean asked

Jameson took a deep breath and closed the file. He answered as he turned around to replace the file. "No. No prints, no witnesses. He was meticulous."

"Is he still alive?" Rachel asked.

"Nope." Jameson said as he sat down with a sigh. "If you ask me, Mary spent her last living moments trying to expose this guy's secret. But she never could."

"Where's she buried?" Sam asked

"She wasn't. She was cremated."

The three of them glanced at eachother with subtle disappointment. Creamation meant two things. One, that the spirit couldn't be stopped by salting and buring the bones. And two, that this case just got a lot harder.

"What about that mirror?" Rachel blurted out. Her voice a little too excited at the prospect. She clamed and said more reporter like, "It's not in some evidence lockup somewhere is it?"

Jameson didn't seem to catch her slip and seemed to think for a moment befor answering. "Ah, no. It was returned to Mary's family a long time ago."

"You have the names of her family by any chance?" Sam asked.

"Oh really? Ah that's too bad Mr. Worthington. I would have paid a lot for that mirror." Sam said into his cell phone as he sat in the front seat of the Impala once again. "Okay, well maybe next time. All right, thanks."

Sam pressed them 'end' button and looked up out the window into the sunshine. It was ealy afternoon and the where back on the road headed back to Ohio once again. The day was warm and Rachel sat in the back seat with the window rolled down. She'd taken off her hoody and was comfortable on the cool leather in her jeans and green tanktop. She was enjoying the sunshine on her bare arms, the scent from the strawberry patch they drove passed whafted into the car and filled the air with the heady scent, making her mouth water slightly. The wind shwooshed her hair gently and she liked the whispy feeling of it on her shoulders.

Then a thought occured to her, interupting her thoughts about Mary and the plan that was forming in her head was the sudden jab of guilt. It was another beautiful day that her sister wasn't around to see, another day filled with life for the living and a cold grave for Kelly. Her beautiful, golden haired sister wasn't here to smell the strawberries with her. She couldn't feel the sunshine or feel the breeze.

Tears sprang to Rachel's eyes at the thought, all of sudden she no longer liked the warth of the sun on her skin. The smell of the berries became sour and she no longer wanted to feel the wind on her cheeks. She knew why instantly. She didn't want to take any pleasure in the simple pleasures of life if her sister couldn't do the same. If Kelly couldn't have the sun, Rachel didn't want it either.

She rolled up the window, shutting the warm breeze and the sweet scent of the strawberries outside. She was about to move over to the shady side of the car so she couldn't feel the heat of the sun anymore when Dean took a turn that put the sun on the otherside anyway. She was in shadows that cooled her skin instatly without having to move. She was greatful for the less pleasurable setting now.

"So?" Dean asked his brother, both where totally unaware of her neurosis, of which she was thankful.

"So that was Mary's brother." Sam answered. "The mirror was in the family for years, until he sold it one week ago to a store called Estate Antiques. A store in Toledo."

"Toledo?" Rachel asked with wide eyes.

"Yep." Sam answered. "Toledo."

"So wherever the mirror goes, that's where Mary goes?" Dean suggested.

"Her spirit's definitely tied up with it somehow." Sam aknowledged.

Rachel leaned forward from the back, resting her arms on the back of the front bench seat.

"Isn't there an old superstition that says mirrors can capture spirits?" She thought out loud. Before either of them could answer Rachel took a breath that was filled with the musky scent of Dean's leather jacket. Which he was still wearing dispite the warm day. Still keeping her position, she recoiled slightly at the realization that she was so close to him and the fact that she liked the smell a little too much.

"Yeah there is." Sam answered. "Yeah, when someone would die in a house people would cover up the mirrors so the ghost wouldn't get trapped.

"So Mary dies in front of a mirror, and it draws in her spirit." Dean said.

"Yeah but how could she move through like a hundred different mirrors?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, but if the mirror is the source, I say we find it and smash it." Dean suggested

Sam seemed to consider the thought and frowned before answering. "Yeah, I don't know, maybe."

They where silent then. Digesting all the new information, Rachel rested her chin on her hands which where folded on the seat in front of her. She looked up into the rearview mirror the same time as Dean did.

Their eyes cought one anothers and locked. Rachel's heart picked up speed at she looked into those hazel depth's and she found herself unable to look away. She wondered for a second what his eyes would look like heavy with desire and found that she didn't have to push her imagination too far. His gaze was so intense that she knew he was thinking similar things as he looked at her right now. She felt her stomach clench pleasurably at the thought of him wanting her. She was just aknowledging what a dangerous thought that was when her phone rang, pulling her from her mesmerization.

Thankful for the ring, she broke eye contact with him and leaned back in her seat. Still feeling her head swim she answered the phone.

"Hello." She said. "Charlie? Calm down, are you ok?"

Rachel listened to the histerical girl on the other end. Sam turned to look at her, a questioning look on his face. She looked back at him while she listened and found his eyes comforting.

"Ok. Ok." She said to Charlie, trying to calm her. "Where on our way back, we'll be there soon. Just try not to look at anything with a reflection."

Sam and Dean exchanged surprised looks at hearing her words.

"Soon, we'll be there soon." Rachel answered then pulled the phone away from her mouth. "How long till we get there?" She asked Dean.

She saw him glance at the speedomiter then the mile marker on the road.

"We can be there by 6 if we haul ass." He answered.

Bringing the phone back to her mouth she spoke to Charlie once again. "We'll be there at 6 ok, just hang tight. Ok?"

She listened for another moment then ended the phone call with more encouageing words that they where on the way.

"6 if we haul ass?" She asked.

"Just about." He answered.

"Then haul ass. Mary's after Charlie."

Rachel felt the car pick up speed befor she even finished her sentance.


	12. Chapter 12

The sun was just going down. The comming darkness outside was being shut out of the hotel room by Sam and Dean as they pulled the curtains closed over the windows so the reflective surfaces of the panes wouldn't be visable. They also threw sheets over every mirror, the tv set and any other shiny surface that would cast a reflection.

As the boys worked to keep every avenue to Mary closed, Rachel sat on the bed indian style with Charlie, who sat in the same fashion oppisite her. Her face burried in the neck of her sweater so she wouldn't have to look at anything. Rachel had her hands on her knees, trying to comfort her as much as she could with human contact, but the girl was so terrified that Rachel could actually feel her shaking.

When Sam and Dean finished they came to the bed where the girls where, sitting next to Rachel, Sam put his hand on Charlies shoulder and spoke gently to her.

"Hey, hey it's ok. Hey, you can open up your eyes Charlie. It's okay, all right?"

Charlie looked up slowly, her large blue eyes filled with tears. She looked around to make sure there was nothing to look at that would bring Mary to her.

"Now listen," Sam continued. "You're gonna stay right here on this bed, and you're not gonna look at glass, or anything else that has a reflection, okay? And as long as you do that, she cannot get you."

"But I can't keep that up forever." Charlie said in a voice so small and scared that Rachel's heart broke for her. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?" She asked Sam.

Rachel saw Sam's eyes fill with emotion at the question, being asked something so serious had an affect on him. He showed so much compassion, Rachel found herself appreciative of his "bedside manner" for the girl as he answered.

"No. No. Not anytime soon."

Rachel took her hands and gave them a reasurring sqeeze, showing her that she agreed with Sam wholeheartedly.

Dean sat on the bed on Rachel's other side and spoke to charlie in almost the same manner.

"All right Charlie. We need to know what happened." He said.

"We were in the bathroom. Donna said it." Charlie said.

Dean shook his head, "That's not what we're talking about. Something happened, didn't it? In your life…a secret…where someone got hurt. Can you tell us about it?"

Charlie heasitated as she looked down at her hands enclosed in Rachel's. She looked unsure of what to say.

"Listen, it's ok." Rachel said leaning her head down to look into Charlie's eyes, once again giving her hands a squeeze. "You can tell us ok. We're going to help you, I promise."

Looking back up Charlie took a deep breath and started her story.

"I had this boyfriend... I loved him. But he kind of scared me too, you know?"

Rachel nodded her understanding.

"And one night, at his house, we got in this fight. I broke up with him. He got really upset, and he said he needed me and he loved me, and he said 'Charlie, if you walk out that door right now, I'm gonna kill myself.'" Her voice cracked with emotion as she relived the memory in her head.

" And you know what I said?" She continued looking into Rachel's eyes. "I said 'Go ahead.' And I left... How could I say that? How could I leave him like that? I just…I didn't believe him, you know? I should have."

Finished, she put her head down miserably and started to cry.

They decided to go to the antique shop that night after it closed to find Mary's mirror. They needed to put an end to this befor Mary could get to Charlie. Dean made a quick phone call to the shop and leaned that it closed at 9. To be safe they where going to hit it at 10:00 just be sure that no one was there. They had an hour and a half before they could leave so they decided to get something to eat and try to get any more information they could on Mary and find out as much as they could on mirror folk lore.

"I'm gonna hit the deli down the street." Rachel announced, grabbing her key's from the table. "Charlie, do you think you can eat something?"

Charlie looked up from the bed that she still sat on. She looked exhausted as she shook her head.

"Thank you anyway, Rachel. But I just can't." She answered.

Rachel nooded her head understanding. "How about some tea maby? To calm you down a little?"

After thinking for a second she nodded. "With honey?"

Rachel smiled at her, "Sure. No problem. Sam?"

He looked up from the laptop he had set up on the table to research the mirrors, which he had turned away from Charlie so as not to cast it's reflection in her direction.

"Ham and cheese on white maby? And chips, nacho prefferably." He answered.

"You got it." She said. "Dean?"

"I'm not sure what I want." He answered rising from his chair next to Sam. He pulled his jacket off the back. "Mind if I take a ride in that sweet mustang of yours?"

Her heart skipped a beat, but she just smiled. "Don't think your girl's gonna get jeliouse?" She asked meaning the Impala.

Pulling on his jacket, Dean turned to Sam. "Do me a favor Sammy, if she asked where I went make up a convincing lie to cover my ass if you can."

"If I can?" Sam asked looking up at his brother with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Yeah, like you don't completly suck at that stuff." Dean said sarcastically. "The boy couldn't convince a frog it's not green even if it was purple." He said looking at Rachel. "Me on the other hand, I could make a preacher believe it's demonic to go to church on sunday if I tried hard enough."

"I'll try to save her from your unfaithfulness from her if I can, Dean. I promise." Sam said as he typed on the keyboard.

"Atta boy, Sammy. I'll ask for extra ham on your sandwhich." Dean said as he clapped him on the shoulder.

Even Charlie managed a small laugh at the brothers banter.

"We'll be back." Rachel said as they walked out the door with Dean behind her.

They walked to her car and she opened the doors for them.

"What are the chances of me driving this baby?" Dean asked before they got in.

Looking at him from over the roof she laughed.

"I'd say slim to none." She answered. "No body drives my girl but me."

After thinking a moment he looked up at her and with a small smile that melted her heart he said "I wouldn't respect as much if you had said ok."

And with that he slid into the passenger seat. She climbed in next to him and started the car. Pulling away from the hotel she looked over at him.

"So you ready for this tonight?" She asked.

"Is any hunter ever ready to face the things they hunt?" He asked in return.

She thought for a moment as they stopped for a traffic light.

"My sister always seemed to be. I think I actually saw her smile a few times as she preformed an exorcism or shot a demon full of salt. She had it in her blood, you know." She said.

"So what happened to her?" He asked, his voice quieting slightly.

Instantly she regretted bringing Kelly up. Of course he was going to ask. She had told Sam the general tale already she relaized when Dean asked that she had better tell him the plan that was forming in her head and in order to do that she had to tell him a little more about Kelly's death than she felt comfortable with. She had to. If he was hunting this thing with her he had to know what was going on in order to have her back if it came to it. The light turned green, taking a deep breath she told him what was necessary.

"It's a long story so I'll just cut to the chase. She drowned and I was too slow to save her." She all but blurted out, not looking at him. "I'm telling you this becuase I think I know how we can stop Mary. I think we need to get her into her own mirror and then smash it in order get rid of her for good. So tonight when we get to the shop, I'm going to call her and let her come after me."

Dean was stunned into silence at her confession. He looked at her as she drove and tried to digest everything she'd just said.

"Wait a minuet." He said. "Your saying you think Mary will come after you because you couldn't reach your sister in time to save her? You think that's going to be enough for Mary?"

"Yes." She said simply.

"Listen, not to down play it because obviously I don't know everything that happened, but Jill hit some one with a car and took off, Charlie all but told her boyfriend to kill himself, who knows what happened with the Shoemakers. You just admitted that you tried to save your sister and couldn't reach her in time, it's not exactly on the same level. I'm not sure Mary's gonna think your a killer the way she does with them." He said.

"Your right." She said looking out the windshield.

Surprised he raised his eyebrows. "I am?" He asked confused.

"Yeah. Your right about the fact that you don't know everything. You don't think I'm a killer in her eyes even though I let my sister drown?" She asked with a scowl.

"It doesn't sound like you let her drown. You tried to save her right?" He asked.

"Not hard enough." She said almost whispering.

He saw the saddness in her eyes and for a moment he wished the subject had never come up. Her sisters death was still very heavy in her heart and he'd just learned that she blamed herself for it even if no one else could. He thought of Sam then, And even though he didn't know what had happen the day Rachel's sister had drowned he couldn't imagine what it would be like to loose Sam to this job. His little brother who he was supposed to protect and keep alive. If she was anything like him and valued her family as much as he did she must be crippled by the fact that her sister had perished while she watched.

He had a feeling she was just like him when it came to her family. Even knowing what little he did of her at that point he could tell that her heartache was genuine and very painful. He felt sorry for her that she carried such a burden of guilt.

"Let's just try things my way ok." She said as she pulled up to the curb outside of the brighly lit delicatessen. Turning off the engine she turned toward him. "It'll work. I'm sure."

"Let me ask you something first then I'll agree." He said, telling himself that it wasn't his business, he told himself to shut up but just couldn't help the next words than came out of his mouth. "If she doesn't come for you, is it going to change the way you think of your self at all?"

She stared at him in silence. He stared back. The silence stretched until it became almost think. Finally, she spoke.

"Let's go." She said as she opened her door. "Sam's waiting for his Nacho chips."


	13. Chapter 13

The rain started just as they where about to leave for the antique shop. The heavy downpour started with a loud burst of the clouds above. Charlie begged that one of them stay behind with her as they put their jackets on and took stock of the salt, holy water and various mirror smashing objects for all of them. They assured her that if they where going to get rid of Mary so she'd never hurt any one again they all needed to be there to finish the job. Rachel did her best to assure her that she'd be safe in the room with nothing shiny visable. Reluctantly she let them go.

In the backseat of the Impala once again, as they drove with the steady drum of the rain on the roof and windows toward the confrontation with Mary, Rachel relized that it was most likely going to be over tonight and then she and the Winchester brothers would go their seperate ways. She was unsetteld to realize that she was almost sad about it. Stealing a glance at Dean as he drove, the nape of his neck and the sharp line of his jaw, she felt a flurry in her belly at the fact that this was probably the last time she would be able to look at such a perfect male speciman. She hated the fact that they had to meet under surcumstances like these, she wanted nothing to do with any kind of romance right now and probably wouldn't be for a very long time. If this had been three years ago...shit, 8 months ago even, things would have been very different. Had Kelly been with them now and no guilt or loss stabbed at her ever second, she would have had Dean Winchester on a plate already. Snooty attitude or not. She knew what she was capable of and he was not above her reach if she'd wanted it.

But that was another Rachel. A happier one who still had a little sister. Who smiled all the time, laughed freely, knew she was sexy and loved her life. Not any more. That Rachel had drowned with Kelly. What was left was someone who hunted because she didn't know what else to do, some one who couldn't go back home and faced each day as it came, not thinking too far ahead because the future wasn't filled with someone she loved any more. She was alone now and planned on staying that way.

"You know her boyfriend killing himself, that's not really Charlie's fault." Dean said, pulling her from her thoughts.

"You know as well as I do spirits don't exactly see shades of gray, Dean. Charlie had a secret, someone died, that's good enough for Mary." Sam replied.

"I agree wholeheartedly Sam." Rachel said.

Dean looked up into the rearview mirror to catch her eyes, she looked back into them with a "Told you so" look on her face, the words where meant more for him than for Sam.

"I guess." Dean said looking back at the road.

"You know, I've been thinking. It might not be enough to just smash that mirror." Sam said.

"Why, what do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Well Mary's hard to pin down, right? I mean she moves around from mirror to mirror so who's to say that she's not just gonna keep hiding in them forever? So maybe we should try to pin her down, you know, summon her to her mirror and then smash it." Sam answered.

Once again Rachel and Dean glanced at eachother in the mirror, surprised.

"You two been talking to eachother?" Dean asked his brother.

Sam frowned and looked back at Rachel over the seat.

"You thought the same thing?" He asked.

"Yeah. I did actually." She answered then smiled at him. He was a pretty sharp cookie she decided. "I guess great minds think alike, Huh Sam?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He said but didn't returne her smile. She could tell the thought was heavy in his mind.

"Well how do you know that's going to work?" Dean asked.

"I don't, not for sure." Sam replied.

"What are you thinking , Sammy?" Dean asked looking troubled.

Sam was quiet. Rachel waited patiently for his reply. She had a bad feeling about what he was about to say. When he finally spoke he fear was confirmed.

"I'm going to summon her." Sam said, his voice thick. "She'll come after me."

" So every one's guilty and thinks Mary will come after them!" Dean said heatedly. Sam frowned at him, confused. He wasn't aware of the conversation that she and Dean had while getting dinner so Deans words where cryptic to his ears.

After another second of fuming Dean threw up his hands

"You know what, that's it." Dean said angrily and pulled the car over to a screeching halt. They stopped under an overpass, the rain no longer pelting the roof left a silence that Rachels ears began to ring in. Dean shoved the gear into park and turned to his brother with a scowl. "This is about Jessica, isn't it? You think that's your dirty little secret that you killed her somehow? Sam, this has got to stop, man. I mean, the nightmares and calling her name out in the middle of the night—it's gonna kill you. Now listen to me—It wasn't your fault. If you wanna blame something, then blame the thing that killed her. Or hell, why don't you take a swing at me? I mean I'm the one that dragged you away from her in the first place."

Sam was silent. Rachel all of a sudden felt very out of place. This was a family thing that she sould not be listening to. She was sure that it was her presents that made Sam not retort to his brother immediately because she saw Sam glance at her in the mirror, uncomfortable. She decided to make things a little easier for him and remove herself.

"You guys need to talk." She said. "I'm going to check on Charlie."

She opened the car door and stepped out into the wet night. Shutting the door she took out her cell phone and dialed Charlie's cell phone number. Sheltered by the overpass she remained dry but the humidity in the air was thick. Charlie answered and Rachel asked her if she was ok. Letting her know she was alright Charlie wanted a report on how things had gone.

As Racheled explained to her that they had gotten there yet she looked over at the car and saw Sam and Dean deep in conversation. She couldn't hear their words but Dean still looked angry while Sam just looked complacent. Whatever they had to say to eachother Sam was trying not to be confrontational and she felt a pang in her heart for him.

So he felt guilty too? About his girlfriend. As she spoke to Charlie and watched the brothers have a fight she couldn't hear she felt a comraderie with Sam grow inside her. He was almost as tortured as she was it seemed. Enough to have nightmares and be certin that Mary would come after him. Loosing some one you loved would do that you. She knew exactly how he felt.

She hung up the phone with Charlie and leaned against he brick wall with her ands in the pockets of her denim jacket, waiting for the boys to finish. As she watched she saw Dean motion to her and Sam look out the window at her. She saw Sam look back at Dean and speak briefly. Dean said something in reply. She was sure that Dean had just informed him of their conversation earlier.

Sam opened the door and walked to her. She watched him approach and stand befor her. Looking up at him she was silent, as was he. Their eyes saying more to eachother than words could at that moment.

"Sam." She said when the silence got too thick.

"I got this one Rachel." He said simply. "I'm sure you think she'll come after you but I KNOW she'll come after me."

She just looked at him. Not sure what to say.

"Things happend with Jessica that only I can understand. Your sister dying was a terrible thing but from everything you told me your innocent in all of it. I know that's not the case with me... I'm asking you to trust me." He said

"Sam, I'm not going to pretend to know what happened with you and Jessica because obviously I don't. But please don't pretend to know what happened with Kelly and me." She didn't sound angry she hoped. But she wasn't appreciative about any one undermining what she felt and knew to be true. "I haven't spent the last 6 months feeling this way for no reason. I'm to blame for what happened to her. And you even said that Mary will probably see it."

Sam looked down at his feet. It wasn't her intention to make him feel bad for downplaying her role in Kelly's death, but he didn't know her or her situation and he made her feel like she needed to remind him of that.

When he looked back up he had tears in his eyes.

"Please Rachel." He said.

She drew her eyebrows together, his reaction a surprise to her.

"If for anything else please let me do this for me." He asked.

"Sam?" She asked.

A tear rolled down his cheek and her heart broke for him.

"I need to do this." He said. "I miss her so much. If I can stop Mary because of Jessica, maby her death won't be in vain...At least a little."

She couldn't speak. She just looked up into his sad facce and felt her stomach wretch in compassion for him. She reached up and gently wiped the tear from his cheek.

He let her do it as he looked down at her.

"This is that important to you?" She whispered.

Slowly, he nodded. "Yes." He whispered back.

How could she deny him? How could she take away an opportunity for another who shared pain similar to her to rectify it? She couldn't do it to someone she hated. Much less Sam Winchester. Her hand still on his cheek she locked eyes with him again.

"Ok." She told him. "Ok, you do it. If it's that impotant."

He reached up to her hand, covering it with his own her squeezed gently as another tear spilled over his lashes.

"Thank you." He said letting out a pent up breath.

"Thank you, Rachel."


	14. Chapter 14

It had stopped raining by the time they got to the shop. Dean looked around the dark street as Rachel bended over trying to pick the lock on the door. No one walked the street to see them break in.

"Got it." Rachel said as she pushed the door open.

Dean was impressed by how quickly she had gotten in, she must have picked many locks in her time.

They walked in and shut the door behind them. Switching on the flash lights they each held, they swept the beams around the dark shop to reveal many mirrors of different shapes and sizes. Too many.

"Well…that's just great." Dean said.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out the picture of Mary's dead body next to the mirror. "That's the one we want. Let's start looking."

"Split up?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. Not sure how much time we have, so let's make it quick." Dean asnwered scanning several mirrors in his general vacinity.

They each took off in a differnet direction, going down the isle clostest to him he swept the flashlight over every mirror, the light bounced off the silver panes making his eyes tear slightly. None of them was Mary's mirror. After a minuet, neither he, Sam or Rachel called out 'Found it.' and he was starting to worry. He was so busy searching he didn't see the tiny flashing red light behind the cash register that signaled the alarm.

"Maybe they've already sold it." Dean called out.

After a second of silence he heard his brothers clam voice in the isle behind him.

"I don't think so." Sam said quietly. In his tone, Dean knew that he had found it.

Walking around the isle he saw Sam about half of the way down staring at a large round mirror, he started to walk toward him and heard Rachel fall into step behind him. They reached Sam and looked at the ornate glass he stared at. Dean pulled the picture from his jacket once again to compare, Rachel shined her flash light at it then looked at the mirror before them. Sam never took his eyes from it.

"That's it." She said with a sigh. "Sam, you sure about this?"

Still not glancing away he clenched his jaw. Placing the photo back in his jacket, Dean contemplated his brother, who was silent as if Rachel had never spoken.

"Sammy?" He asked.

As if in a trance Sam shook his head slightly and handed his flash light to Dean.

"Yeah. I'm sure." He said.

Dean and Rachel took a step back as Sam spok into the mirror.

"Bloody Mary." He said.

Dean heart sped up in his chest. Sam picked up the crowbar at his feet.

"Bloody Mary." Sam repeated slowly with a look at Dean.

Dean's heart rate doubled and his mouth went dry. He felt Rachel stiffen next to him and he was almost sure she was holding her breath. He returned Sam's look with an unsure look of his own. Sam poised the crowbar over his head. As if he was in the batters box waiting for the next pitch. He was sure Sam was just as frightened as he and Rachel were. It was with a shaky voice Sam spoke the name for the third and final time.

"Bloody Mary."

Silence. None of them moved and no one took their eyes from the mirror. Sam was so tense Dean saw the muscles in his arm jerk as he held the crowbar poised for the strike...waiting for the slightest movement in the mirror. Dean held his breath.

Nothing happened.

Nothing happened until the front window of the shop filled with bright white light so suddenly that they all turned toward it with surprised jerks. Dean even heard Rachel give a startled little cry and cover her mouth.

Peering toward the front of the shop Rachel let out an exasperated breath.

"Shit! I think that's the cops." She said.

"Damn it! I'll go check that out. Stay here, be careful." Dean said to Sam who once again raised the crow bar. "Smash anything that moves."

Sam nodded.

"Rachel I think you should come with me." Dean said.

She looked at him like he had three heads.

"Nnnooo. I think some one should stay here with Sam" She said like she thought he was crazy.

"No. I really think you need to come with me and handle this."

"Dean there's no reason you can't handle this on your own right now. Sam's got a pissed off spirit comming after him and I think I should stay with him." She argued

"There's a great reason I shouldn't handle this by myself right now." He said.

Frustrated she rolled her eyes at him.

"And what's that?" She asked condisendingly.

"The fact that most likley there are guy cops out there and I'm not the one with boobs." He said.

She blinked in surprise. He'd caught her completly off gaurd with that one. She seemed to think about it a moment and her features softened as she realized that he was right.

"Yeah. Ok." She said with a little whine. "Sam. you gonna be ok?"

"Yeah I'll be fine." He said. "Just hurry back."

Dean and Rachel started walking toward the front of the shop and as they got closer Dean saw that it was infact a black and white police car parked at the curb. On the roof of the car was a huge searchlight that was pointed right at the front windows. Two cops with flashlights peered in.

"Follow my lead." Dean said to Rachel as they walked out.

"Hold it." The taller and younger of the cops called as they emerged.

Dean threw up his hand and smiled widely.

"Woah guys, false alarm, I tripped the system." He said.

"Who are you?" The older, shorter cop asked with a frown.

"I'm the boss's kid. This is my girlfriend." He said motioning to Rachel a step behind him, who gave a small imbarrest wave and smile to the cops. "I was just showing her one of our new mirrors from Asia. You know guys, gotta impress the lady's."

Rachel laughed slightly and slipped her hand into Deans arm like she thought he was the most charming thing in the world. the cops only looked at them with frowns.

"You're Mister Yamashiro's kid?" The taller cop asked.

_Oh shit._ Dean thought.

Inside the shop Sam was sweating, waiting for Mary. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movent in the mirror to his left. Sam swung the crowbar with all of his might and the glass shattered into a million pieces at his feet with a thundering clap. As he watched the pieces fall he caught sight of Mary in the mirror to his right. with out a thought he swung at that one and it shattered just as brilliantly.

Facing Mary's mirror once again he cursed under his breath.

"Come on. Come into this one." He challeneged in a whisper.

Sam stared at his reflection with the crowbar ready for another strike. His face in the mirror smiled at him.

Startled, Sam peered closer at his image.

The other Sam smiled wider.

All at once Sam's chest tighted so painfully he found his next breath was difficult to take. Pain exploded in his head and he dropped the crowbar, doubleing over slightly.

His reflection was not effected . Infact, Sam saw it peer at his as if enjoying his pain.

He couldn't breath! White hot dots exploded behind his eyes and he felt wetness drip from the corner of his eyes. Putting his hand up to his cheek he wiped at the wetness and his fingers came away with blood. His eyes we're bleeding.

"It's your fault." His reflection accused in an thick voice that sounded like three sets of vocal cords working at once. "You killed her. You killed Jessica."

Back outside Dean was still trying to diffuse the situation with the police.

"Like I said, I was adopted." He said nervously.

"Yeah. Sure." The older cop said as they both closed in on them, reaching for their clubs.

Dean glanced at Rachel who shook her head slightly.

"You know, Dean." She said. "We just don't have time for this right now."

With that she turned suddenly and punched the older cop square in the face with more force than he would have thought he capable of. The cop went down hard on his butt with a surprised yelp. Following her lead he pulled back his fist to punch the other cop but he didn't have the element of surprise as she did. The younger cop blocked his swing with his left arm and pulled out his club with the right in the same motion. He swung it down and it would have made perfect contact with Dean's collar bone had he not caught the cops wrist at the last second.

He struggled with the taller man, who was stronger than he looked, when he felt Rachel brace her hand on his shoulder. She gave the cop a vicious kick to the gut with her booted foot that sent him flying to the ground with a loud "Ugghh!" of the breath leaving his body.

As the cop feel to the ground Dean heard foot falls behind them. He turned shaprly just in time to see the other cop, bloody nose and all, come at Rachel quickly from behind with his club raised, ready to strike her in the head. Dean punched him in the face so hard he felt his knuckles crack. The older cop went down hard again. This time he stayed down.

From behind him he heard one more punch land. He turned to see Rachel standing over the younger cop just pulling her fist back from the strike. That cop stayed down as well.

Shaking her hand as if the punch had hurt her, she turned to Dean, out of breath. Staring at her he was amazed, she'd thought on her feet quickly and done something so stupid he would have thought he was the only one capable of it. She surprised him and they'd taken the two cops down togather.

She looked so beautiful to him at that moment he couldn't stand it.

Sam was in agony. Writhering on the floor, blood seeping from his eyes, his chest on fire, breaths comming in short gasps. His reflection taunted him.

"You never told her the truth—who you really were." It said. "But it's more than that, isn't it? Those nightmares you've been having of Jessica dying, screaming, burning—You had them for days before she died. Didn't you!?! You were so desperate to ignore them, to believe they were just dreams. How could you ignore them like that? How could you leave her alone to die!?"

_I'm going to die. _Sam thought as his chest all but closed.

"You dreamt it would happen!!!" His reflection screamed.

The mirror exploded. Dean turned his head as his crowbar smashed through it to avoid the spray of glass.

Sam felt hands on his shoulders and a female voice call his name. He looked up at Rachel as she sat on the floor next to him and pulled his head back into the crook of her arm so she can see his face. The pain in his head eased the instant the mirror was smashed. He pulled in a breath that finally filled his aching lungs. He felt Rachel's fingers on his cheeks.

"Oh God, Sam. Your eyes." She said as she looked at her fingers stained with his blood.

Dean was at his side the next instant.

"Sam," He called. "Sammy!"

"It's Sam." Sam said because it was the only thing he could think of to ensure Dean that he was ok.

"God, are you okay?" Dean asked when he saw the blood on his face.

"Uh, yeah." Sam said with difficulty.

He saw Dean and Rachel exchange a look over his head.

"We should get out of here." Rachel said.

"Yeah. Come on, get him up."

He and Rachel pulled him to his feet. With one arm behind Rachel's neck and the other behind Dean's, the three of them began to walk toward the door. They took maby four steps befor they heard the glass behind them crunch.

They turned in unison toward the mirror that Dean had smashed to save Sam. Mary's Mirror. From the gaping hole that had once been the shiny reflective surface of the mirror a nightmare began to crawl out.

First was the purple and black bloated arms, gnarled fingers pressed into the glass shards on the floor.

The three hunters didn't move a muscle as Mary's head appeared next. The long, stringy, tangled mass of her black hair touched the ground as she moved intently to free herself. She wore a filthy dress that might have been green at one point. But now it was in tatters and spotted with black grime. She crawled the rest of the way out of the destroyed mirror and stood up facing them.

Sam's heart was in his throat as she looked at them hatefully. He couldn't see her face completly as the hair hung on greasy strands over it, but from what he did see he skin was white and molten with green. as if she had been decomposing for days.

The pain in Sam's head came back with such force it knocked the wind out of him. He doubled over once again and saw Rachel do the same with a cry. a quick glance over to her revealed that blood began seeping from her eyes as well.

"Uggghh." Dean bellowed raising his hand to his head. Sam saw the blood on his face as well. The three of them fell to the floor as Mary advanced. She was killing them.

On the floor, the deamon befor them, Sam had no idea how they where going to get out of this one. Mary was liquifying their brains as she had the others. Sam's vision dimmed, he knew he was going to pass out soon and there was nothing he could do to save his brother or Rachel.

Just then he turned his head to see Dean grab hold of a full length oval mirror on wheels. He pulls it over and faces it toward Mary.

The demon stop in it's advance on them. He face surprised at her own reflection. Sam heard a glutteral sound that he was sure came from the mirror she looked into.

"You killed them!" Mary's reflection said in a thick courus of voices. "All those people! You killed them!"

Sam saw Mary's expression change to a startled one as she watched her image accuse her of murder. She started to choke. Her eyes widened. Sam felt the pain in his head and chest ease once again. He could breath now.

Before them, Mary choked one last time and then...melted was the only thing Sam could call it. She just evaporated into a huge pile of what looked like blood on the floor.

Dean threw the mirror, toppleing it. It fell face down over the pile of goo that had once been Mary, shattering.

Gasping for breath, the three of them sat up slowly on the floor, released from Mary's hold. Sam looked at each of them and saw their faces smeared with blood from their eyes.

Rachel looked over at Dean and smiled slightly.

"Nice shootin', Tex." She said to him.

"Well," Dean answered. "She wasn't a cop. But I did my best." He answered.

Sam had no clue what they where talking about but was still in too much pain to ask. So he just let them have their cute little moment with eachother. Looking around Sam saw a sea of broken glass around them.

"Hey guy's?" He said.

"Yeah Sammy?" Dean replied.

"This has got to be like…what? 600 years of bad luck?" He asked.

He wasn't surprised when neither of them laughed.


	15. Chapter 15

Rachel pulled the Mustang up to the curb in front of Charlie's house at 7:00 am the next morning. Glancing in the rearview mirror she saw Dean pull the Impala up behind her. Looking over at the passenger steat at Charlie, she saw how tired and puffy the small blond looked from the night of unrest.

The three hunters had returned to the hotel past midnight with bloody faces and so many scratches from broken mirror glass they coundn't be counted. They cleaned eachother with paroxided and bandaged the bad ones. Besides bad headaches and queezy stomachs from Mary's attack on them, they hadn't suffered any real damange. They would live to fight other demons and ghoulies it seemed.

Getting out of the car Rachel looked back to see Sam and Dean do the same. She saw Dean's right hand wrapped in gauze as he closed the door. Rachel remembered the moment when she had been covering Dean's nuckle's with the bandage. Tehy were bleeding from the swing he'd thrown at the cop. As she was cleaning the last of the blood away she'd looked up and met his hazel gaze. After a second he'd smiled slightly at her. His beautiful full mouth curved up at the corners in a silent 'thank you'. She coundn't help but smile back. Looking back down she'd finished smoothing the med-tape over his skin and got up to dispose of the bloody rags.

They'd slept for a few hours then. Then packed their things and taking both their cars, came here to drop Charlie off. The hunt was over. The people here where safe from Mary. Nothing lwft to do now but say good-bye. The thought saddened rachel more than she wanted to admit.

"So this is really over?" Charlie asked as they all converged by Rachel's car.

"Yeah, it's over." dean acknowledged.

"Thank you all." Charlie said, he voice almost shaking. "I can't thank you all enough..."

With that she burst into tears. Covering her mouth her hand, her narrow shoulders shook. Sam went to her and wrapped her in his arms, the tiny blond all but dissapeared under his tall frame. When she'd controled herself to some extent , she pulled away from Sam's embrace and wiped her eyes with her fingers.

"Charlie?" Sam called to her when she turned away. She turned back to look at the three hunters who's saved her life. "Your boyfriend's death…you really should try to forgive yourself. No matter what you did, you probably couldn't have stopped it. Sometimes bad things just happen."

Charlie just smiled sadly. Then turned to walk toward her house again.

After she'd gone in, Rachel turned to Sam. Meeting his eyes.

"That's good advice, Sam" She said.

He just looked at her for a second. His eyes sad for her as well as himself.

"You too. Rach." He said softly.

They just stared at one another then. Both understanding the meaning of their words without having to say it.

"Take care of your self. Ok?" He said finally.

She smiled. "You, too. Sammy."

They hugged tightly. Tears stung her eyes but she pushed them down befor they could really surface. She was going to miss him. After pulling away she saw Sam look over at his brother who was leaning against Rachel's car with his hand in the pockets of his jeans.

"I'm gonna wait in the car." Sam announced and walked off.

Dean stood there after Sam left watching Rachel. She turned toward him with her arms folded across her chest, he long black hair blew slightly in the breeze and he was captivated by how beautiful he found the sight.

"So where you headed?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "Dunno. Can't stay here that's for sure. We beat up two cops last night and trashed a mirror store. It's time to get outta Dodge."

He smiled and met her eyes.They where so green and clear in the bright morning sun he thought for a moment that they didn't look real.

"Listen, you did good. Thank you." He said.

She smirked and let out a tiny chuckle. She shook her head slightly, her eyes amused.

"Your an arrogant son-of-abitch, Dean Winchester. But I'll take your approval over your sarcasm any day." She said.

Smiling back at her he gave her a shrug of his own.

"Aw come on. You know you love it." He said.

She contemplated him for a moment, tuning her head slightly to the side.

"Tell you what. The next time we meet up out there, if you give me any lip I'm gonna make that lip nice and fat for your trouble." She said.

He got serious then. "Next time?"

"Hey you never know." She said. "We happened to both be here at the same time, whose to say it won't happen again one day. Would that be so bad?"

Their eyes met and held on that. He realized what she was doing. Her words betrayed the fact that saying good-bye was hard for her. So in not so many words, she was saying 'See you later'. He found that that's what he wanted to do as well. Betrayed also was the fact that she was probably just as attracted to him as he was to her and that's why 'see you later' was easier. He was surprised when the idea appealed to him greatly.

"No. It wouldn't be so bad at all." He admitted.

After another moment of silence he smiled at her. She smiled back.

"See you later, Rachel." He said and pushed off of the car.

"See you later, Dean." She said.

Sam and Dean drove as the morning wore on. Sam was waiting for the right moment to ask Dean the question that had been hanging in the air since they'd left Rachel. And he'd finally decided that now was better than any other time.

"So you think we'll ever see her again?"

Dean was silent. His eyes never leaving the road. "Who's to say." Was all he said after a moment.

"Admit it, Dean. Your gonna miss her." Sam said trying to extract anything Dean would give.

"No more then I'll miss Charlie. Or any one else we come across on a hunt then leave behind." He said.

"She's not just a case we left behind, Dean." Sam argued. "She's a hunter just like us. I wouldn't be surprised if this wasn't the last we saw of her. How do you feel about that?"

Once again Dean was silent. Pretending to concentrate on the road. Sam knew that his brother was somewhat smitten with this beautiful hunter they'd found and that he wished too that one day soon they'd see and hunt together again.

"Give it up Sam. I know what your trying to get out of me and it's not going to work. Hunter's are everywhere and some times you cross path's. Most of the time you don't. I don't expect to ever see her again and neither should you." Dean said.

Sam knew that was the end of the conversation so he decided to keep quite and let Dean drive. But even though Dean said the words Sam believed not one word of it.

Finally on the highway,Rachel was comforted with the blacktop beneith her tired once again. She tried not to think about Sam or Dean but found that she couldn't help it. Sam was probably the sweetest guy she'd ever met, she decided. A good hunter who had just as much on her plate as she did. Dean was probably the biggest asshole she'd ever met and she found that she probably wouldn't respect him as much if he was any different.

She smiled to her self as she thought about his beautiful eyes looking at her like he knew the hot shit that he was.

She was glad to be away from him.

Temptation like that was not something she needed right now. And Dean Winchester was just that. Temptation.

Her cell phone started ringing. Glancing at it quickly, she turned the radio on to drown out the ringing. Her mothers number was on the caller ID. She couldn't answer it. Maby soon. But not now.

_**Author's note: **__Ok people. here it is. The last chapter in "Dean's True Love? Bloody Mary, Rachel's Intro." I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I felt so stupid with this whole concept and almost didn't post it. But you've all reacted to it better than I ever could have hoped and gave me the encouragement through your great exeptance of it to keep Rachel alive and continue to write about her and her expirience with the boys. I have a lot planned for Rachel and Dean and I just wanted to say thank you to all of you because I feel that I can write it all down now and share it. The next time they meet it's going to be in "Scarecrow." Keep an eye out for it and I'll see you all on the boards. _


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